University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

The territorial expansion of Los Angeles

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The territorial expansion of Los Angeles

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Content THE TWRITORIAL EXPANSION OF LO3 ANGm;E8
A Thesis
Presented to
the Faculty of the Department of EUstorg
The University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements fop tbe Dewee
Master of Arts
bs
James W. Utter, Jk.
Febmrarg 1946
This thesis, written by
.................. ~~filfil-WX&M88QEJEJ-P~~-LLLLJr* -.-.- .'73YU
under the guidance of h-A#-.. Faculty Committee,
kJi (
and approved by all its members, has been
presented to and accepted by the Council on
Graduate Study and Research in partial fulfill-
ment of the requirements for the degree of
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAFTm PAGE
I,
THE ORIGINAL PUEBLO AND ITS INFWTENCE ON Tm FUTURE 1
11. EARLY ANNEXATIONS AND CONSOLIDATIONS . . . . . . , 32
111. THE HARBOR AMD TIlE SHOESTRING STRIP. . . . 64
IV, THE SANFZENANDO VALLEY, 82
V.
LATER ADDITIONS OF SETTmD AREAS NEEDING BETTER
WATERSUPPLY* 100
VI.
NEW SUBDIVISIONS REQUIRING A BATE22 SUPPIX AND
MISCELLANEOUS ADDITIONS. . . 128
BIBLIOGRAPHY . . 147
LIST OF US
PREFACE
aterest in the city limits of Los Angeles is wide-
i apread. This interest has led travelers and soldiers in a
jocular mood to plant signs reading "Los Angelss City Limitsn
in far-off places such as Tokyo, ~erlin, and the Arctic
wastes. Even a war',plane was named "Los Angeles City Limits."
Noticing such references over a period of many years, the
rrriter was led to investigate the process and progress of
the enlargement of the area of Los Angeles and the reasons
for tms growth.
It is the bellef of this Investigator that this wide
extension was a reasonable solution to peculiar local prob-
lams, particularly of water supply and th building of a
harbor, It was not caused by meglmania or by a conspiracy
to pad the population flgure in the census returns,
The writer has llrritten at some length on the estab-
lishznent of municipal jurisdiction over the orlgmal grant
of four square leagues and on the obtaining of the patent
to this area because he could not find these topics described
elsewhere. Annexation and canaolidatlon are treated by
general are- whenever possible and if not too widely
separated in time. The treatment is chronological within
chapters,
The plrriter ashes to express his appreciation of the
iii
iv
se-cea of Mr, H. L. Moore of the County Recorderrs Office,
Mr. A. M, Morris and the Udex Division of the Los Angeles
City Clerk's Offlce, and the helpfulness and patience of
Dr. Onen C, Coy, Dr, Frank H. Garver and Dr. Roy Malcolm,
members of Ma committee.
$8~". r.
CHBPTER I
TL4 .:
ORIElXAL PUEBLO AM> ITS INFLUENCE ON THE F'IJTURE
f% "
-0 -
Us Angeles under Spafn and MexAco was a very small
-ty, but Its influence upon the f'uture clty was great.
TM8 innuonce raa not due to the number or character of its
Mttearts, tho* many prominent men of the clty trace
their Uesoent from tbse people. Indeed, at ths first, the
Ibgtsd States cenaus in 1850, amy-nine years after the
foundlng of the pueblo, there were but 1,610 inhabitants in
tb "tplm. Th6 3aflnce -oh ths tiny settlement exerted
u Of *a Wa8 dllC) to it8
&&.&Galt,l&'aam midits oontro~ over tm waters of tha
Lo8 Aagele& Bimr granted by the KMg of Spain and confirmed
-a& ma to t~ Amerlcan tom.
The establlafnaents of sphin In Alta Callfornla ram of
four typssr
ths mission, the presldio or military post, the
rancho and the pueblo or town. Los Angelea was of the last
type, and was founded for the purpose of putt- California
am a wore aelf-uu8tainlng baais.' The puablo was to be an
rgriealtural Pillage to furnfsh food for the presi~os which
San 3086 was the first and Los Angeles was the aecond
of the tbme pueblos founded in Alta California. Branceforte,
hikeen Santa Cruz and Monterey, was the third, but did not
uUm%ve.
2
had heretofore imported much of their supply from Mexico,
!
Ths missions were agriculturally self-aupportlng, but the
1
L
inhabitants of the pueblos were expected to plant crops, put
out vineyards and orchards and supply the miUtary establish-
ment, which even then was a burden on the state,
The choice of the location of the tLny pueblo seems
to bave been made,by Governor Felipe d.8 Neve, His
Reglamento of Jitne, 1779, which was approved by the
Cormandante General, Teodoro de Croix, and by the Visitador
General, ~os6 de Galvez in 1781, provided for the founding
of an agricultural comwarity, on the Porciuncula River (now
th. LOB Angeles River).' De Neve had noticed the sate when
he had moved his capital Prom Loreto in Baja California to
Monterey in 1777, Others had noticed it before him, In
1769 the ~ortol6 expedition had camped near this place, and
the diwlst, Fray Cxwspi, made thls entry in lris chr&cler3
Wednesday, August 2 . . . we entered a spacious
valley, well grown with cottonwoods and alders, among
wMch ran a beautiful rlver from the north-northwest,
and then doubling the point of a steep hill, it went
on af'terwmds to the south. Toward the north-
northeast there Is another river bed whlch forms a
spacious watershed, but we found it dry, This bed
unites with that of the river which we named
Porciuncula, Iiere we felt three consecutive earth-
quakes In the afternoon and night, We must have
traveled about three leagues today. TNs plain
J. Grea Layne, Annals & Angeles, 4, 5.
H. E. Bolton, Fray Jw Crespi, 146, 147, quotlng
Fray Ju,m Crespi, Ma-. ,
where the river runs is very extensive, It haa
good land for plantmg all kinds of grain and
seeds, and is the most suitable of all # have
seen for a mission, for it has all the requisites
for a large settlement.
On this excellent site, called the best location for
a oompunity in the province, was a oillage of the most miser-
able Indians ever described, They howled like wolves but
offered gifts of seeds. The poverty of the allage of Yangna
or ranchsria of Yabit, was not caused by the environment, for
the diarist further records:4
Thursday, August 3 , . , We left the Camp and
forded the Porciuncula River, which flows down the
valley , . . After crossing the mver we entered a
large vlneyard or wZld grapes and an infinity of
roses In Pull bloom, All the soil is black and
low, and is capable of producing every kind of
grain and fruit that may be planted. We went weat,
continually over good land covered rith grass,
, . . All the land that we saw this morning seemed
athairable to us,
It was on tUs day that the elrplorers not;lced the
t
springs of tar now known as the *La Brea Pitsn on WZlshire
Boulevard. This pitch was useful to the early settlers for
waterproofing taelr roofa,
5 It may be wondered why the original settlement was
r"
1
not made near the harbor or farther up the river in the
I San Fernando Valley. In answer to the f=st supposition, it
should be remembered that these people were not envisioning
Boltan, Fray J- Crespi, 147, 148.

I
-
si-
founded, not as a seaport, connaercial center, or industrial
city, but as an agricultural cowmznity. Governor Felipe de
Neve called for colonists for this new pueblo and issued his
instructions.6 The place for DuildXng the toma, or dm, and
-
the llnes for the atch were laid out with a vlew to irrigat-
ing the largest possible area of ground, ThLs ground is now
covered by the rallboad yarda, warehouses, and f actorfes.
The pueblo was to be laid on high ground--afterwards to prove
not high enough to resist the floods--within sight of the
fields at "leas% 200 varaa diatant, near t;ne river on the
-
main ditch with sufficient exposure to the north and south
nrinds."
A plaza was laid out 200 by 300 saras with the corners
-
facing the Pour points of the compass. The sides therefore
ran northwest and southeast, northeast and southwest. And
since the streets were laid out to run perpendicularly from
the four sides, theg also ran in the same directions.
This
was done so that no street would be swept by the winds,
"supposing that the ands confined their action to the cardi-
nal points. u7 This action in laying out the streets on the
diagonal has caused confusion in our city planning, Later
American subdividers insisted upon laying out their streets
He H. Bancroft, History of California, I, 344.
-
straight north and south, east and west, carlng nothing for
the winds or finding that they blew from the southwest as
F
?
often as from the straight south, Where the line of the
i
Spanish streets meets the line of the American streets, we
have some queer turns' Ad jogs, as on Hoover Street. The old
plaza was not at the.present location, but was farther north,
Floods made It nece$sary to move to the new situation,
De Neve, according to most writers,,flxed the day for
the founding on September 4, 1781, and it Is supposed that
the ceremony was carried out as proposed, but the only
available contemporary account gives the date of actual
founding as occurring 'in the last days of December, 1781.~~
The difference between the proposed date of founding and the
later one Is attributed by Englehardt to ths fear and uncer-
tainty caused by the Yuma massacre, It was not until the
Spanish were sure that Indian disorders would not spread to
this area that they ventured to found the new pueblo, says
* Prancisco Palou, Vida 6, Serra, 245.
me best bisoussion~t~ date of the founding
of the pueblo is to be found in "Se Fundarm un Pueblo de
Espanoles" by Tbas Worlrznan Temple I1 in the Annual Publfca-
tions of the Historical Society of Southern c~T
1931-1932, 69-98. After a care- and convincing study he
gzves September 4 as the most probable date,
Zephyrin EngelhaFdt, San Gabriel Wsslan and the
~egIMings of Los Angeles, 47,-
--
--
Not only the date, but the manner of founding is in
dispute,
mglehardt points out that all Palou says of the
ueremolny is : 10
The governor made am?angements for the foundmg
of a pueblo of Spaniards on the Rio de Porciuncula,
so called by the ffsst expedition In 1769, He
collected together all the settlers who came as
colonists, assigned the site on the banks of the
river dastant from the Wssion San Gabriel four
leagues to th~ northwest: And there escorted by
a corporal and three soldiers they founded their
pueblo in the last days of 1781, under the title
of Our Lady of the Angels of Porciuncula.
TNs description does not sound very impressive.
Ehglehardt Mers that the governor was not present, indeed
that he was ashamed of the pitiful result of" his effort,
The rather poor and motley group was nothing if not racially
mixed. There
U.
two Spaniards, "on whose purity of blood frequent
aspersions were casta
one mestizo
two negroes
eight mulatoea
nine Mexican Indians
Ths racial nrLxture of the children was even more
varied. Perhaps de iu;eve was ashamed of his colony. -1ehardt
is an advocate of the mission system and everywhere shows
aversion to the little coamrmnity that neglected the church.
He camplains frequently of the early attltude of the little
" Palou, Vida tie Serra, 245.
---
'I Znglehardt, San Gabriel Mission, 52.
--
8
pueblo.
On August 14, 1786, Pedro Fages, then the governor of
California, ordered Jose Argtiello to proceed to Los Angelee
and give to each settler formal possession of his lot and
plot of land. H8 was told also to define clearly and desig-
nate what the public domains were : the water, pasturage,
and wood, and to lmve the settlers sign the proper instru-
ments, On Septenber 5, 1786, Qrgtiello carried out these
instructions, and measured and designated the unassigned
lands for the common use, and confirmed the rfght to the
common use of all the water. No settler could sip his name,
but each wrote the aign of the crosa,
12
By 1790 the population had tripled, numbering 139, and
by 1800, there were 315 persons in the pueblo, ~gricultural
production had met expectations and exceead them to the
extent that it was proposed to export grain at this time to
San Blas, Mexico.
13
During the first years of the new century, little or
notmg noteworthy is recorded, and even the raising of the
Mexican flag in 1822, af'ter the successful revolt from Spain,
caused little excitement, for the Californians had been
l2 Provlnclal State Papers, I, 710, quoted by Dorland,
*The Lo8 Bngeles River--Its Ownership and Hist~ry,~' Historical
Society of Southern Calzforn%a Publications, 1893-1896, 32.
l3 Laurence L. all, -- La Relna, 15.
indifferent toward the revolt.
According to the local historian, J. Me Gubn, the
territorial legislature in 1834 enlarged the boundaries of
the pueblo to make it, he says, the largest municipality in
the .world for the firat tLme. ThLs new boundary enlarged
it8 l%ts from the original grant of four square leagues to
"
sixteen aquare leagues or more than one hundred square miles--
"two leagues to each of the four wbds, measuring from the
center of the plaza,"
14
In another place he calls this the
action of the Departmental Assembly or Diputatlon.lS In later
years the city based its claim to thls large area on a grant
by Governor Manuel Micheltorena made on August 25, 1844. 16
On the north, thls clam would have conflicted with that of
the Ranchos San Rafael and Iios Feliz; on the northeast, with
the Rosa de Castfllo, claimed by the San Gabriel b¶lsslon; on
the west it took in the Rancho La Brea, Where its clam
would have been undisputed, it was ten miles across both
ways. This grant, if actually made, was not to enlarge the
city lindts, but to give omership to much unassigned land
l4 J. Me Gulnn, "Pueblo to Cludad," Publications,
Htstorical Society of Southern California, m06, 216,
Guinn, "How the Area of the City of Lo8 Angeles
Was Enlarged," Publications, IIistorical Society of Southern
Calii'ornia, 191bv/3,
Los Angeles County, Recorder, Mscellaneous Records,
11, 504.
k
!
is the vicinity of the pueblo.
In 1835 the Mexican Congress raised the pueblo or
tom to the dignity of a - ciudad or clty, and the same year
declared it the capital of Alta Calif'ornia. l7 These honors
were short-lived, however, for the sixteen aquare league
grant was not coMirmed by the United States when it con-
sidered the claim in 1856. Los Angeles was invariably called
a pueblo at the time of the American conquest and it remained
the capital of Alta California for a short period only. It
was, however, the largest municipality in ALta California at
this time, although many of its citizens were troubltnnakers.
It was the center of varioua revolutions, and plot and
counter-plot were hatched here. So turbulent was it that
Cosme Rena, prefect of the southern district, in his corres-
pondence with Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado, is said to have
dated his letters at *Lo8 Diabloa* instead of Los Angeles. 18
Foreigners, especially Americans, began cmhg in
dumng the Hexlcen period. Some were merely visitors, such
as the overland traders and trappers Jededlah Smith,
Jamea Ohio Pattie, and EWng Young, or were traders and hide-
buyers coming by ship from New England, pa described by Dana.
Many, such as John Temple, Abel Stearns, and William Wolf skill,
CUbm, lfPFcun Rteblo to ~iudad," Publications,
Ustorlcal Society of Southern California, 1906 - 1908 1126.
l8 Hill, La Reina 27.
- -*
11
m-ed into prominent Mexican or Spanish f atrdlies and pros-
pered greatly thereby.
Following these peaceful intruders, came the armed
invaders that were to change completely, though not immediate-
ly, ths character and size and appearance of the old pueblo,
Loa Angeles was the center for several exciting episodes
and small battles'during the Mexican War, The American flag
was raised almost without opposition on August 13, 1846, but
lack of tact on the part of Gilleapie, the officer left in
charge of the city, caused an uprising whioh resulted Fn
the expulsion of the American forces, The story of this
episode, Lean Johnts ride for help, Stocktonrs unsuccessful
attempt to retake the city with the incident of the Old Wman
Qun, the battles of San Pasqual, the Edeaa, and the capitula-
tion of the Californiws under Andms Pico at Cahuenga, with
the resulting dispute between F'remont and General Kearmy, can
be found in any California history, With the raising of the
American flag on January 10, 1847, Los Angeles became an
dmsrican tom,
19
The discovery of gold in eZorthern CaUfornla had con-
siderable effect on the town, Many gold-aeekers left the
pueblo for the mines. Many who had came by the southern route,
l9 Robert Glass Oleland, - A History of California, The
- -
American - Period, 206-235.
passed tmough the town, and much beef and other supplies
rere aold at high prices to the miners in the north. Popula-
tion increased, partly, it is said, by an influx of charac-
ters who were expelled as undesirable from the northern ma.
Los Angeles then was said by many to be the Mtoughestl' fron-
tier town in the west.
TIE NEW AbEZICBM TOW
Before California was admitted to the Union, September
9, 1850, the first legislature met at San Jose on December 15,
1849, Among other acts this Legislature passed a general law
providing for the incorporation of towns and a similar law
for cities. Towns, to be Incorporated, must have at leaat
200 inhabitants and were not to exceed three square miles h
area,
20
The law authorizing the incorporation of cities,
passed Wch 11, 1850, provided In Section 1 that a city to
be incorporated as such must have 2,000 or more people. Sec-
tion IV stated, "The order of incorporation shall designate
the metea and bounds, which in no case shall include an area
of more than four square miles.* 21 Section V provlded that
the boundaries of a city could be cnanged by tne county court,
provided that, if it be propoeed to extend the boundaries, a
20
Statutes of Califor+a, 1850, 128-131.
-
13
majority of the qualified electors living within the propoaed
addition must favor the application, and in no case ahall the
Urnits of four square miles be exceeded.
The act of the new state legislature incorporating the
City of Los Angeles was passed April 4, 1850, Because its
provisions are little horn, it wLll be quoted here. 22
The people :of the State of California, represented
in Senate and Assembly, do enact the following:
Section I, All that tract of land wLthb the
linrLts of the Pueblo de Los hgeles, as heretofore
known and acknowledged, shall henceforth be known
as the City of Los Angel-, and the said city is
hereby declared to be incorporated according to
the provisions of the Act entitled, *An Act to
Provide for the Incorporation of Cities," approved
March 18, 1850, Provided, however, that if such
lindts include more than four square miles, the
Council shall, within three months after they are
elected and qualified, fix by ordmance the limits
of the city, not to include more than the said
quantity of land, and the boundaries 80 fixed
shall henceforth be the boundaries of the city,
Section 11. The number of Councilmen shall be
seven; the first election of City Officers shall
be held an tb second ahonday of May next.
Section 111, The Coxparation created by this
Act shall succeed to all the rights, claima, and
powers of the Pueblo de Loa Angeles In regard to
property, and shall be subject to all the liablll-
tles incurred and obligations created by the
Ayuntamiento of said Pueblo.
It is not known why the legislators were so inaiatent
upon lMtlng a city to four square miles. Guinn suggests
that they Bid not how the Wference between a mile and a
22 Statute? of California, 1850, 155.
-
Spanish league or thought four square miles sufficient for
k
b
~r
the population of the cities as they then exzated.
Why
incorporate chapemel-covered hills and mustard-grown mesas
inhabited only by coyotes, jack-rabbits, and ground.
squimels?28 Another exglanation is that the leglalators,
many of &oxn represented farming or cattle interests, wished
to avoid city taxed for farm or grazlng land.
The newly elected City Council of Los Angeles, held
its first meeting on July 3, 1850, and consisted of the
following members t David 8, Alexander, Alexander Bell,
Manuel Requena, John Temple, Morris L. Goodman, Cristoval
Aguilar, and Julian Chavez. 24 esxa~rrlnatlo~l of the council
minutea for the firat three months does not dlscloae any
attempt to fix their boundaries, The term "city LkLts" waa
first used in connection wtth taxation on March 22, 1851,
25
Gu3.m describes the clty IZm5ts as extending one mile each
way froru the Plaza, thus running from Fifth Street north to
We Catholic Cemetery, skirtlzlg the mesa beyond the river
on the east; on the west, lost in the hllla, no one knew
23 Ouinn, I1The Passing of the Old Pueblo,*# Historicd.
Society of Southern California Publications, 1902, 115,
25
Los Angeles City Clerk, Records, Vol, I, "~ransla-
tions from the Spanish,*
15
where or cared, 26 No ordinance is extant giving this descrip-
tion; the first one defining the city lindts was approved by
the City Council on July 9, 1851, just over a year from the
time of ita electian. Perhaps they did not know of the time
requirement; perhaps it was only In the spirit of msana.
The ordinance reads as followsr 27
I
Beginning ae the city dam (reservoir) and the
Easte~ly bank of the river, following its downward
course dong the Easterly bank to tls South East
corner of tne land of Felis Gallardo thence South
Westerly along the Southern boundary line of said
lands and &an Temple ' s or chard to the alley of
Ygnacio Bdachado, taking in both street and alley,
thence South to the alley of Ygnacio Coronel, both
inclusive, thence North Westerly along said alley
to where the San Pedro Road emerges from the
orchard of A. M. Lugo, thence continuing in the
same direction to the corner of Mghth and Main
Streets as far as block thirty, taking in the
street, thence following the brow of the hills and
taking into the jurisdiction, Fort all, both
cemeteries, the College Springs, to the point of
beginning.
Thla ordinhce waa superseded by a sindlar one passed
January 21, 1852, Its principal dlf'ference ia in beginning
at a polnt fifty yards aDove the place where the river water
Is turned into the maia ditch, then drawing a line two hundred
varas due east, thence 80utn to the south-easterly line of the
-
lands belonging to Felis ffallardo, and then following the old
line. William Wolfskillr8 alley la mentioned Instead of
26 Ouinn, *The Paaaing of the Old Pueblo," 115.
27 Los Angela8 City, Clerk, Council Records, Vol. I,
176,
16
Ygnacio Machado's, but the land had proba~ly changed hands,
On the west It Included the slope of the edge where the
canal opened into the river, and ths westerly bank of the
river to the polnt of beginning, 28 These city lintits, the
first to be described for Los Angeles, were roughly Alameda
Street on the east, Eighth Street on the south, Figueroa
Street and the tc@ of Bunker Hill on the west, with a narrow
northern boundary at a point just above the present North
Broadway bridge,
The Council passed this ordinance rather reluctantly.
Under MexLco the Ayuntamiento had not been limited in its
jurisdiction, exercieing control over the surrounding terri-
tory, and there had been no hint that ita control over the
four square leagues, that it omed certainly, was not abso-
lute, At the same meeting In wMch was passed the last named
ordinance, a memorial drawn up by J, Lancaster Brent, and
read to the Council, was approved and ordered sent to the
State Legislature for its consideration, This document read
a* fol~ors r2'
To the people of ths State of California repre-
sented in Senate and Asseanbly,
The manorial of ths C-on Council of the City
of Los Angeles respectfully sklsweth, that the
28 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Councll Records, 207-208.
29 Ibid., 208-210.
-
situation of their city is peculiar and diffe~ent
from any city in California In that it embraces
witllin its llmits a large number of vineyards and
gardens wuch are all dependent upon a system of
irrlgatlon and a proper distributi~n of the waters
of the River of thb Pueblo, that in order that this
system of Irrigation may be carried on rltb auccess,
it is necessary that it be uniform and consistent,
directed and controlled by one autkrlty alone, yet
that by a law restricting the limits of the City to
two miles square, or four square miles, an important
portion of the meyards and the water necessary for
their succeashrl operation is placed out and indepen-
dent of any harxnonious system by being beyond the
control of the authority which directs and manages
the other and major portion.
Your memorialists would Arrther represent that
by Law they have Fightfully succeeded to ell the
rights, clalms, and powers in regard to property
of the Pueblo aa organized prior to Aprll 4, 1850,
A. D.; that much of the property excluded by the
limits before mentioned are charged by their titles
with the payment of an annual contribution to the
City, and that It is hard to leave them subject to
the said contribution rithout lncludlng them within
the Corporate limits, and further that the property
around the City is the property of the City, and
yet, while having the rights of an owner over the
aame, they are debarred from all jurisdictional
control thereof.
They Purtber represent that most deplorable con-
sequences dl1 result, and are resulting, from this
state of affairs, that improvement is checked
because the hardy settler fin& himself at the
mercy of a capricioue neighbor, as far ae the irri-
gatlon of his vineyard or garden is concerned, and
that property will depreciate beoatlse of the doubt
whether next year's crop can be brought to maturity.
Rherefore your memorialists pray that they may be
permitted to extend the lines of the City so as not
to embrace in them any more than the aggregate of
three milee square.
And aa in duty bound your memorialists will ever
Pray.
The state legislature had Plready passed a law ach
18
would seem to cover most of the troubles mentioned. On April
5, 1851, it passed an act supplementary to the Act of Incor-
poration, confirming the right of the Cosrmon Council to
retain all the powers and rights exercised by the old
Amntandento over the public lands belonging to Me clty and
not included in tb city ilmi ts, and confirming their right
to take necessary water from the rlver to irrigate these lands
by dams erected outside the city limits. No municipal author-
ity wa8 to be exercised in this outside area except the con-
' 30 Perhaps it trol over the taking and distribution of water.
WPLI in answer to the memorial that the legislature reaffirmed
the right of the Mayor and Camon Council to control the dls-
tribution of water *. . . wit- the limits clalmed by the
ancient pueblo, *" This was in 1854.
The clty must have persisted in its effort8 to enlarge
the clty limits, for on April 15, 1859, the state legislature
passed a law authorizing the Capmnon Council of Los Angeles,
with ths consent of the mayor, to extend the limits of the
caty fifteen hundred yard8 or less, in any or all directions,
and repealing any acts or parts of acts in conflict with
this extension.32 This would have glven the city the nine
30 Statutes of California, 1851, 329.
-
31 - Ibid., 1854, 205.
32 IbId 1859, 253.
-* ,
square miles requested in the memorial. The city ad not at
once take advantage of this offer. Perhaps the old law fix-
ing the city limits at four scyuare miles had been forgotten,
together nith the ordinance demarking the city limits. There
is no record that these lWts were surveyed or that they had
any practical effect. It is the opinion of the present
33
Deputy City ~ttorndy, that the city assumed jurisdiction
over the four square leagues of its grant, and that with the
passltng of the years, it was generally supposed that these
boundaries constftuted the city lidts.
'
This act of permission to extend the limits was not
forgotten, however, for on J'une 1, 1869, the council passed
an ordinance extending the southern city limit four hundred
yards. They based their right to do thia on the law, cited
above, passed ten years before.
34
Thla extension was not, however, as the State Legisla-
.t;ure had intended, added to ths southern boundary at Hghth
Street, aa written in the ordinance of 1852. It was added to
the southern boundary of the old grant of four square
leagues--the so-called Patent Boundary. This extension,
marked as the Southern Extension on the map of annexation
33 Interview rlth Mr. Clyde Johnston.
34 William H. Caswell, C~mglled Ordinances of the Citg
--
of Los Angeles, 121,
--
20
prepared by the Los Angeles City tagineering Department, is
listed as an ~nexatlon dated April 15, 1859. This date was
merely the time of passage of the state law cited above per-
mitting expansion. To add to the imgularity, the addltion
as finally defined was not 400 yards, but 440 yards, or
twenty chans. 35
If there wad any uncertauty as to the location of the
city limits at this time--and well there might have been--it
was cleared up in 1874, when the legislature passed a law
mending the charter of the city. This act defined the city
lindts as follows:
36
Commencing at a point in the county of LOB Angeles,
State of California, 100 chrlns south of and thirty-
five chains and seventy links east from the common
corner of tomships one and two south, and ranges
thlcteen and fourteen rest of the San aernardLno
base and memdlan, running thence east 421 chalns
and thirty-six links; thence north 441 chains and
thirty-six links; thence west 421 chalns and thirty-
six linlts; thence south 441 chains and thirty-six
links to the place of beginning.
This description was repeated in amendments to the
city charter in 1876,~~ in 1878,~~ and in the first free-
holders charter in 1889.~' This constituted the U~h~te~
35 Post 20.
-9
36 Statutes of California, 187301874, 633.
-
37 1bi~I.~ 1875-1876, 692.
21
bounw as marked on various maps and ia made up of four
square leagues plus twenty chains, or one fourth of a mile,
to the south.
THE PATENT B0UM)AKY
The line inclosing the four square leagues is termed
the "patent boundaryn and since at most points it is the
same as the "charter boundary" it seems pertinent to inves-
tigate the process by which the city obtained the patent to
its pueblo lands. Under Span and Mexico the limit of the
pueblo lands was not clearly defined and for practical pur-
poses was unimportant, but When the United States took over
the state, it became necessary to survey the lands and prove
the title was genuine.
On October 26, 1852, the Mayor and Common Council of
the City of Los Angelea filed a claim with the United States
Land C~sslon to sixteen square leagues of land, basing the
claim upon a purported @?ant by Governor Manuel Ucheltorena
made August 25, 1844.~' The Land Colmnission re.ejected tMs
cla-, however, but on February 5, 1856, they declared the
grant of four square leagues valid, and defined the award as
being bounded on the north and south by two parallel lines,
running due east and west, eaoh two leagues long, and on the
40 gnte 9.
-'
22
east and west by two slndlar lines of the same length running
due north and south,
. . . said boundary lines being so dram that their
respective centres shall be in a direction due north,
south, east, and west from the centre of the Plaza
of said Clty of Los Angeles, d each at a distance
of one league from the same.4 8"
This decree is perfectly clew and definite and should have
ended the matter but. the dispute was destined to &ag along
for many years.
aost of the other towns of the state such as
San Francisco, San Diego, Sac~amento, San Jose, Monterey,
Santa Barbara, Sonoma, and Benecla claimed to be npueblost'
and to be entitled to tb. four square leagues of land. 42
Except for San Jose and Los Angeles the clams were turned
down, for these two were pro~ably the only true pueblos In
the state, Brancef orte having eq~lred.~~
Henry Hancock was employed by the city to survey the
area described above so that a patent could be obtained for
it. The plat that he made in 1858 was the one finally
accepted and was the map of the area for which the patent
was issued, 44
41 Los Angelea County, Recorder, Misoellaneous Records
11, 504.
-9
42 Theodore H. Hittel, History California, 11, 802.
43 Ibid 751.
-. '
44 Los Angeles County, ~ecorder, Book of Patents,
--
BOO~ 111, 56-67,
The northern boundary was not the straight lbe running
due east and west as required by the decree of the Land Cam-
mission. It ad run west from the northeast corner of the
grant, but when it reached the Arroyo Seco, the description
is as follows:
45
Thence meandering down the center of the Arroyo Seco
and along the boundary of the San Rafael Rancho
. . . to the jbction of the Arroyo Seco and the
Los Angelea River, thence meandering along the west
bank of the Los Angeles River . . . to a corner of
the San Rafael and Canada de 10s Nogales Rancho.
It seas impossible, now, to dlscover the reason for
not including tMs triangle, later granted to the Rancho
San Rafael, within the survey. Hancock must have considered
it as already belonging to this rancho. The city's claim to
the &ea would seem to be perfect. However, objections were
rsised in the Camon Council later.
46
Mea~larhile, tbe city had not abendoned its claim to the
sixteen square leagues of land, and threatened to appeal,
after employlsrg an attorney to press its claim. But on
August 9, 1866, a patent to the four square -18s was signed
by President Andrew Johnson after a stipulation had been
agreed upon by the United States Mstrict Attorney and the
attorney enxployed by the city, that the objection of the
45 Los Angeles County, Recorder, book of Patents,
--
BOO~ 11, 34-35.
46 Los Angels8 City, Clerk, Coqncll Records, 1873,
455,476.
24
United States toward granting the four square leagues would
be dropped if the claim of the city to sixteen square leagues
would be abandoned, This patent was not delivered to the
clty at; tMs time, but was held in the General Land Office,
The reason given for wlthhold3ng delivery was that the pub-
lication of the survey was defective, not having been made
within the time limit required.47
On October 2, 1873, the City Attorney reported to the
Council that he had filed objections to the Eancock Survey
for the following reasons: The survey had been made accord-
ing to the true meridian and not aacording to the magnetlc
courses, as he believed it should have been; the western
boundary running north and south was not one league from the
center of t'ne Plaza; the northern boundary was not a straight
line, but followed the meandering8 of the Los Angeles River
and the Arroyo Seco to their junction; the survey did not em-
brace within its 1hrl.t~ four square leagues of land, He
further reported receipt of a letter fram the Surveyor General,
saying that evldence in support of these objections would be
taken as soon as the period of ninety days, allowed for the
filing of objections, had expired, Ee promised to keep the
Council advised of developments in the affair.
48
47 Los Angeles County, Recorder, Patents, 11, 437, 448,
48 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Record Book, VIII, 473,476.
--
On February 19, 1874, the City Attorney reported
receipt of another letter from the United States Surveyor
General referring to the hearing of oojections to the survey,
The City Attorney advised the Councll to either &amiss
objections to the survey or to make all possible preparations
for their support by obtaining all the evidence possible, He
stated that Major "Hancock had also filed objections to his
own survey so they should prepare to oppose him, The Surveyor
General, in his letter, seemed anxious to dispose of the
matter, The tenth of March would be the final day for the
1 hearing of objections, Councilman Dockweiler moved that the
i
I
City Attorney be instructed to wlthdraw his objections and
instead use every effort to procure the patent. He argued
;
that there seemed to be no reason why the patent could not be
obtained under these conditions, but the lack of a patent
might prove to be of great injury to the city, Messers
Dockweiler, Gukena, Mascarel, and Beaudry voted "aye.'
Workman and Sabichi voted "noe. ~49
On December 17, 1874, the City Attorney reported that
the Commissioners of the General Land Office had sustained
the city in the matter of Hancockts objections to the approval
of the survey. 50 Soon thereafter, the publication of the
49 Loa Angeles City, Clerk, Record Book VIII, 607.
-
50 mid BOO^ IX, 229.
-* *
26
survey having been made, a new patent was issued August 4,
1873, signed by President U. S, Grant, This was recorded
Jdy 6, 1876.51 The issuance of a new patent would infer
that the original one was defective, but it is the patent of
1866 that is used by the County Recorder, 52 The City Clerk
also states that "this is undoubtedly the patent conferring
the four square lebgues to the city. u53 This belief is based
on a record of the counc~l meeting of November 9, 1878,
according to which George He Smith appeared before the councll,
stating that since the Supreme Court had decided In favor of
I
the patent of 1866, he would ask pagment of $250.00 balance
due the firm of Glassell, Chapman, and Sndth on a contract
made in September of 1876. The sum waa ordered paid,54 This
1
original patent was finally reoeived by the city was recorded
twice. One record contains the correspondence in ths case,
The final recording was made on January 10, 1882, and this is
the one that is now used.55 The original document has been
lost and cannot be located since it was used in evidence
51 Los Melea Countv. Recorder. Book of Patents, 2,
I-
52 Interview, fie L. Moore, Deputy County Recorder.
53 Los Angeles City, Clerk, City Propert. Records, 2,
8.
54 Ibld., 14, lo record of any such court m;llbg
could be f- by this Investigator,
55 Los Angeles County, RecorQr, Patents, 11, 437-448.
27
ihrnng a court case involving the Owen's Valley ~~ueduct.~~
The titles to all the property within this area of nearly
twenty-eight square ales are based upon this patent, The
city received little benefit from the grant, for by an ordl-
nance passed 1854, all the squatters who "by themselves
or their ancestorsi' had occupled or fenced or farmed the
land, were given tdtle to it.57 The remaining lots were
auctioned off for small sums or even for services rendered,
A11 that the city has retained of this immensely valuable
property is Pershlng Square, the Plaza, Zlysian Park, and
Lincoln Park.
THE LEGAL CONTROL OF Tm WATHiS OF THE LOS ANOEI;EJS RIVER
Since it was the ownerahZp and control over the waters
of the Los Angeles River that proved so important in the
matter of future annexations and consolidations, it is impor-
i
tant to trace the history of the various important contro-
versles and decisions which resulted in veating absolute
control Ln tb city. These controversies began very early in
the clty's hlstorg, for only a score of years after its
founding, the pueblo complained of injury caused by the
buildlng of a dam on the Cahuenga Rancho by priests at
28
San Fernando Mission. A committee, appointed to investigate,
substantiated the clam, The mission fathers at first denied
this, saying that the dam had been used by a former occupant
for fourteen years. Later they yielded all right to the
water, asking permission only to use a sufficient quantity
of water for irrigating a small tract of land necessary to
the mission, and meing to stop such use if it ever caused
the least damage to the people of the pueblo, TNs agreement
was dated larch 26, 1801, and was forwarded by Jose Araello
to the governor.58 On April 4, 1836, a complaint was made
to the city authorities about another dam bMlt by the
San Fernando Mission, This affair was settled as was the
first one; the mau in charge of the Wssion promising to
destroy the dam if any scarcity of water were ever shown in
the pueblo.
59
These incidents occuring under Spain and hiexico show
the difference betmen Spanish and Amerlcan water rights,
Under Amemcan law, the riparian owners--the owners of prop-
erty along a river--have the right to withdraw water frm the
stream, for In most of the original United States and in
-land, whence our law Is derived, there was plenty of water
5*
~rovinoisl state pa r8, ~01. XIX, 956. wted by
Dorland, "Ownership om -+ Los geles RLver," in Publications,
i
Historical Society of Southern Californfa, 1t398-18'9'6, 32, 33.
59 Dorland, -- loc. clt.
29
in large rivers, In Spain, however, the rlvers rarere usually
small and water scarce, so that such a right given to riparian
owners would have made it impossible to develop a water supply
for the towns and cities, This custom was extended to
New Spain, and the pueblo on the Los Angeles River was given
all the water needed from the river, and Amerlcan courts
conceded that it hetained this right under the United States.
60
Various acts of the State Legislature in 1850, 1851, 1854,
and especially 1874, prev~ously cited, confirmed this right
61
to the water.
In the case of Anastacio Feliz vs. Los Angeles, an
action was brought ag-st the clty for cutting off the water
In the plaintlFfc8 ditch. The court stated that ever since
the pueblo was founded, it, and the American city, had always
exercised control or, and claimed the exclusive use of all
the water of the rlver, and that this right had been recog-
sized by the riparian owners, A lower court had enjoined the
city from cutting the ditch, but the Supreme Court reversed
this decision, It decreed that the city could control only
the amount needed by its Inhabitants and could not sell or
lease any of the surplus for this belonged rightfully to the
60 Callfornla Supreme Court, California Reports,
CVI, 238.
61 Ante 1.8.
-9
30
riparian owners, 62 !Chis was one of several. decisions and
laws nhlcn established the principle that the c~ty could not
8811 water outside its corporate limits, This mrle proved
important in the future.
In tne case of Los Angeles vs, Thomas D. Buffington
et al, the court ruled that ths omners of land along the
--
watersned of the rzver could not even pump water from wells
on their om property; the wells in this case being about
1,000 feet from the river, The court said:
Unquestionably the San Fernando Valley is a
great natural reservoir and supply of the
Los Angeles River. Unquestionably the cutting
off of this supply would as crmapletely deatroy
the Los Angeles River as would the cutting off of
the Great Lakes destroy the St, Lawrence,
!Phis decision followed testimony OX William MuUolland as to
the nature of the river,
63
Robert Devine and 240 others, in attempting to obtain
the rlghts of riparian owners, took their case to the Federal
Supreme Court, This court decided that it was a strictly
local or state question, upholding the Federal Circuit COW
which had dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction, 64
In 1899 in the Pomeroy-Hooker case, the plaintiff
62
California Supreme Court , California Reports, LVIII,
73
64 United States, Circuit Court, Case No. 1121, Case
No, 207, (United States, Supreme Court),
31
claimed that the water rights given to the old pueblo could
not be extended to the city of greater size and larger popu-
lation, but the court declded that all possibilities as to
future growtn and requirements were covered by the orlglnal
65
grant.
Thus, by grant from the Spanish Government, by
continued use, acknowledged by parties in interest
and the ~uprernb Court, the city is the unqualified
owner of all the water flowing in the Los Angeles
River necessary for all purpose8 of irrigation and
domestic use within the ~ity.~6
As the crty grew larger, it required all the water
flowing in the river or beneath its surface, and hence
undoubtedly had the exclusive right to all thls water for use
within the city limits. This left the riparian owners, and
other titles and towns farther up the watershed, with no
rlets whatsoever.
65 California, Supreme Court, Reporta, CXXSV, 597,
650,
66 orla la ad, 'Ownership of the Los Angeles 35*
FdWX ANNEXllTIONS AND CONSOLIDATIONS
Until 1895 ths cfty limlta of Los Angeles remained as
thes had been fixed bg the state legislature in 1874.' There .
had been no annexation of territory even during the wild boom
of the 1880's. Ifi 1872 there had been an attempt by the resi-
dents of a tract south of, and contiguous to, the southern
charter boundary of the clty to annex their district to
us Angeles. The county board of supervlsors, after a proper
petition had been presented to them, ordered an election to
be held November 20, 1872. This election maulted in a
favorable vote for annexation, but the Los Angeles City Cow
crl disapproved and disallowed it at its session held December
26, 1872.2 This attempt waa conducted under a law paseed by
the state legislature February 11, 1872, pemaitting annexa-
tions to be made in this mannera3 This law was repealed two
4
years later, In 1889 another law was passed providing for
annexation of contiguous territory to a Annexations
Ante 20.
-*
G
Caansll, C iled Ordinances of the City of
-- -
Los Angeles, 171,
- SF-
Statutes of CWormla, 1872,
-
Ibid 1874, 535.
-* *
Ibid 1889, 358-361.
* ,
were made under its provision un-1 1913, when a new law was
The first true annexation of territory wlth an elec-
tion held In the district affected was Highland Park, which
joined the clty in 1895. This district and nearby Garvanza,
wMch was annexed more than three years later, were originally
part of the huge Bancho San Rafael, owned by the Verdugo
family, Andrew Glassell and his partner A, C. Chapan, pur-
chased this dlstrlct from the Verdugo estate for one dollar
7
per acre, They leased the area to sheep raisers, one of
wbm grazed 15,000 &als on the grassy hills and valleys.
The camp of these shepherds was at the fomaer site of
Occidental College, while they did thsir shearing at the
present college locat1one8 All this area was dascribed as
a region of green hillsides, huge sycamores, wged oaks,
and caqets of flowers in the spring.
9
The Los Angeles and San Gabriel Railroad, later pur-
chased by the Santa Fe, laid its tracks down the valley of
the Arroyo Seco in 1885.10 This encouraged subdivls~on, for
Statute* - of California, 1913, 587-595.
Secwlty Bank, Five Frlendly Valleys, 14-15.
-
' Ibid 16.
-,
Ibid
* ,
lo -. Ibid 5,
34
thia was the time of the great boom and the foundulg of so
many towns in Los Angeles County,
11
Ralph and Mward Rogers first subdivided Oarvansa in
1887. It was a typical boom subdivision, with excursions,
wild speculation, barbecues, and flowery sales tallrs cl-ng
beautiful scenery, salubrious climate, and' unlwted future,
rrlth sure profits'for the lucky buyers. Pang did buy, paying
C
t
$200 to (400 per lot, and by the end of 1887 Garvanza clauned
a population of 500.
12
Later York Valley, Hemon, and parts
of Htghland Park were similarly opened for settlement.
13
In course of time the born broke, prices fell, and
population remained statlona~y or even declined. The early
r
E
nineties were not gay, but rere lean in Southern California
h
follooving the pricking of the bubble, l4 However, there was
c
some progress in the northeast district. The Los Angelea
Pacific, later known as the Pacific iSleotr3.c Railroad, was
built through this area in 1893.
15
Highland Park in 1895 had become worried by the llquor
problem. This dlstrlct had been led out by George W. Morgan
~ecurltg ~mk, ~ive menay valleys, 5-7.
* -* Ibid ' 7.
l3 -. Ibid 8 9..
l4 Ibid., 28.
-
l5 -0 Ibid 9 29.
partly to keep the saloons out, Roadhouses flourished in the
Arroyo and the resident8 of the other amall districts ashed
to keep them there, l6 The editor of the Garvanza Gazette
joined the pastors in a campaign to keep saloons out of
Highland park.17 Finding that It rpa impracticable to incor-
porate as a separate municipality, the leaders of the "dTgN
forces circulated d petition asking for an election for the
18
purpose of annexation to Los Angeles, M. T, Allen was one
of the chief leaders in this movement.
The election was held October 4, 1895, and resulted in
a vote of thirty-one to twelve in favor of the proposal. The
voters within the city voted 310 to 110 in favor of receiving
the district into its llmlts. l9 The day before tls election,
the Los Angeles Times in an editorial entitled "Greater
-9
Los AngelesSN urged a favorable vote for the annexation pro-
posal, It stated its belief that sooner or later this out-
lying district must cane In, for ". . . it is certainly the
destiny of Los Angeles to become a great city." It f'urther
argued that the best interests of the city and contiguous
territory would be served by the propoaed annexation of
l6 Security Bank, Five Friendly Valleys, 23.
-
l7 Loco clt.
7-
l9 Los Angeles Times, October 5, 1895.
-
Highland ark." If' the proposal should
36
win, it expected to
see a new period of development in the northeast section, for
improvements made possible by behg a part of ths city would
make the area more desirable for residential purposes. 21
The area annexad, marked No, 3 on the Annexation Map,
was contiguous to the eastern fourth of the northern boundary
of the city. It ms roughly triangular in sham with the
- - -
Amoyo Seco cutting through its center.
-
Its eastern boundary
li
was roughly a continuation of the cityts eastern boundary
line,
or 904
Iiighland Park, as annexed,
acres.
22
contained 1.41 square miles
Garvanea had been settled before Highland ark."" This
area lies northeast of and contiguous to Highland Park, on
both sides of York Boulevard and north of the Arroyo Seco.
It was named for the garban~o, one of the 180 varieties of
I
flowers that flourished in the San Rafael R[ills. The name
I
I
1
I
was changed to Garvanzo and then, to Garvanla. 24 he area
9
t
20 Los Angeles -8 Times October 3. 1895.
21 Ibid October 5, 1895.
-* 9
nn
ic;&
All further references to the number of an annexa-
tion district refer to this maD. It amears in the Anaendix-
G* Securlty Bank, Fire Friendly Valleys. 12.
-
annexed (No. 5) contained .69 of one square mile or 440
acres, The election was held May 23, 1899, after a rather
spirited ca~npai@;n.
The Los Angelea hbening; Express reported that the
people of' Gsrvanza were red-hot for annexatLon and that they
had been knocking for admission ever since the annexation of
Highland Park three years before, One of the chief reasons
for supporting the proposal was the desire for a five-cent
street c& fare. A population of 700 was estimated for the
The Lo8 Angeles -9 Times in headlfnes the day after the
election, claimed that the Southern Pacific Railroad had
attempted to defeat the project. Ths reason given for this
action was its affiliation with the Pasadena and Los Angeles
Electric Railroad, which served the district under the fran-
chise, got more than five cents could be charged for a ride
wholly within the city limits. This paper charged that the
railroad interests had made an alliance with the Agricultural
Park sporting element whereby both would work for the defeat
of the Garvanza and Univqrsity annexation proposals. Election
heelers were reportedly sent out by the railroad, one of them
proudly showing a ten-dollar gold piece earned for his work
in Garvanza, and boasting of the twenty dollars hs would
25 The Los Angeles hVening ~M~SS, May 23, 1899.
receive the next day in the ~niversity District,
Los Angeles voted 793 to 624 to receive Garvanza into
the city. The Seventh w&, where railroad influence was
strong, was against the proposition, The vote there was 80
to 107 against it. The Eighth Ward voted 51 to 118 against
It,
This was attributed to the railroad men residing in the
area, and to t-he fakt that the Democrats tnere discovered
that the voters in Garvanza were mostly Republicans. Even
city officials were elected on party lines in those days, The
Ninth Ward also turned down the proposal by a vote of 52 to
59,
Many street-car employees lived here, and they mre
opposed to annexation.
Garvanza voted 60 to 8 for annexation. When the
results were announced, 800 Garvenzans celebrated the victory
with a bonfire and firecrackers, The district was described
as dotted atkl neat cottages, widely spaced. It possessed a
hotel, several business houses, two churches, and a four-room
school with $1,500 in the school fund. Considerable railroad
mileage was in this section and since this was liable to
taxation, it would help the city's financial position, 26
Garvanza became a part of the clty on June 12, 1899.
26
The Los Angeles Times May 24, 1899.
-'
SOUTHERN AM> WJBTWN ADDITION
(hl the opposite side of the city an area of 10.18
square miles or 6,517 acres, had been added to the city in
1896. This adbitlon, No. 4, is known as the Southern and
Western Addltion. The ?Vestern Addltion adjoins the western
charter boundary 05 Los Angeles and extends as far north as
First Street, its northern boundary.
Arlington Avenue is
the western boundary, and Thirty-fifth Place is tb southern
limit. The Southern Addition is jolned to the Piestern Addi-
tlon by a strlp 150 feet widee2' The Southern section adjoins
the southern charter boundary of the city, as far east as
Alameda Street, its eastern boundary. The southern boundary
is Slauson Avenue, and the western boundary is a continuation
of the western charter boundary of Los Angeles. 28
In 1895 an attempt was made to annex a large area
south of the charter boundary, but this was unsuccessful.
The
area proposing to annex consieted of four districts:
Rosedale,
University, Pico tfeights, and Vernon.
The election was held
on October 3, 1895, the day before the successful Highland Park
Guinn, 'kiow the Area of Los Angeles Was Ehlarged,"
1
1
1
28 Los dngsles City, maneet., Annexation pa
quent references to boundaries and area of' distric 9. a and (S*se- their
final union with Los Angeles refer to data obtained from this
I
1
1-i
Pi
/ \
40
election, A Los Angeles paper stated that the election had
aroused considerable feeling and urged all to vote so that a
k
true expression of feeling would be given, This paper urged
a favorable vote, 29 Only Vernon District (not th~ city of
that name) voted favorably on the proposal, The results by
d~stricts were: Rosedale, 101 for annexation and 148 against
it; University, 354 for and 215 against; Pico Heights, 31
for and 83 against; Vernon, 140 for and 48 against.
30
The Los Angeles - Times deplored the result, terming it
a great mistake by the suburbs which had much to gain by the
annexation, Property values would have increased twenty per
cent, it said, wlth police and fire protection and electri-
city. It described the &strict as one with rrretched streets,
no sewers, no sidewalks, no street lights, no police or flre
protection, and no publlc improvements worth mentioning,
These conditions would continue, said the -' Times until these
suburbs joined the city, It noted that a change of ten votes
would have reversed the result, for the total was 476 In favor
of, and 494 againat the proposal.31
The next day the Times pointed out a fatal &stake made
-
by the proponents of annexation in this area, Me T. Allen,
41
from Highland Park, went to the leaders in the flght for
annexation of the Southern District, and proposed that, in
the petitions for the election, iiighland Park be joined with
the Southern Mstrict, to be voted on as a unit. The scheme
was rejected, Highland Park was expected to reject annexa-
tion, while the Southern Hstrict was expected to favor it.
The result was the' reverse of this expectation in both cases,
and if both areas had voted as a unit, the proposal would have
carried by one wt8, There was some talk of contest~ng the
election because students of the University of Southern
California had voted, but their votes had been thrown out by
the judges without reporting this action,
Bz
The reason for tais defeat is said to have been a lack
of enthusiasm on the part of the residents in the University
section. If they had voted for the proposal as well as they
dld four years later, when only the University District was
involved, the issue would have carried. They had not yet
been aroused to action, for Agricultural Park had not yet
become the nuisance that it was to be at the time of the
successM campaL@.
33
The election resulting In annexation of the Southern
and Western Addition took place March 21, 1896. A favorable
32 Loa Angeles -9 Trmes October 5, 1895,
33 - Post, 45-49.
42
vote of 510 to 488 in the affected district was cast.34 The
people of Los Angeles voted 673 to 261 in favor of receiving
this section into the city limits.
The Timea commented the next day that the issue was
-
vice versus the city. Feeling in Rosedale and Vernon Heights
was high, The annexationists were well organized, but the
opponents were *full'of vim and vigor," The Vernon saloon-
keepers backed by money from the wholesale liquor dealers of I
Los Angeles, led the oppositzon,
In Vernon the vote was 133 for and 143 against the
I !
measure, Rosedale had a large vote for that area, 237 to
1
236 in favor of the proposition. Pico Bights decicbd the
4
issue by a vote of 149 to 117. All the districts were ccunbed
1
for voters. z
In Los Angeles the Blghth Ward voted against annexa-
tfon by a vote of 45 to 71. The saloon element was blamed for
1 s~
w
The University District was left out of the votlng at
this election. The Times, in an editorial prophesied that
-
the residents there would learn of theZr mistake and would be
hocking at tne oityfs gates before long. The paper also
34 Los Angelas City, Clerk, Coupcil morta, Book 46,
Ltoe Angeles Times, March 22, 1896.
43
mamented that the majority of 23 votes was just as decisive
me of 23,000,
36
The annexatf on became effective on April 2, 1896.
Lo8 Angeles now had an area of 40.8 square miles,
UNNERSITY DISTRICT
The most tufbulent annexation election campaign ever
conducted locally was probably the one involving the now
sedate district around the University of Southern Californ~a.
The circumstances preceding this contest require same explana-
This district extends from Thirty-fifth Place on the
north to Santa Barbara Avenue on the south, and from the
charter boundary on the east to the line of Arlington Avenue
on the west. It was part of the old Spanish Crown lands and
after coming into possession of the United States, was opened
as puolic land subject to entry.
In 1872 a group of one hundred public-spirited citizens
subscribed froan $100 to $600 each for the purpose of purchas-
ing 160 acres of land from James Thompson for the purpose of
holding an exposition. This land extended from Figueroa
Street on the east to Vermont on the west, and from Exposition
Boulevard (then called Santa Monica Avenue) on the north to
36 Los Angeles Times, mch 22, 1896, editorial.
44
Santa Barbara Avenue on the south.37 These hundred gentlemen
formed a corporation lmown as the Southern District Agricul-
tural Society, and since the $12,500 they had raised was not
sufficient, they borrowed an additional $5,000 by mortgaging
the property, The stock shows, exhibits, and horse races
conducted by this original group did not prosper, so In 1879
the mortgage was f breclosed.
In 1880 these men organized the Sixth Mstrict Agri-
cultural Association under the state law providmg for the
division of the state into districts and authorizing the
organization of such an association in each. Isaac N, Moore
bought the property at the sheriff's sale to hold until it
could be redeemed. By subdividing and selling the lots on
the Vermont and Santa Barbara frontage, they obtained enough
money to redeem the property. Considerable litigation
followed which seemed to discourage the group,
In 1888 an attempt was made by I&. Thomas Lloyd and
others to incorporate the University District and same other
territory into a clty. The purpose of this move was to take
in Agricultural Park and correct some objectionable practices
there. Just before the election the advocates of this scheme
found to their surprise that ths boundary lines of the proposed
37 Lillian Van Aken, "History of Exposition Park,"
Historical Society of Southern Callf ornia, Publications,
1912-1914, passim.
45
city had been changed to leave out the Park, Then they worked
By 1897 the Park came under control of a private group
which had maneuvered themselves into possesalon of it, This
group started a number of enterprises wbLch soon met the
violent opposition of the nearby residents of the University
District, There was a great deal of gambling on the horse
races, there were saloons and houses of bad reputation.
Rabbit coursing with dogs attracted the boys of the neighbor-
By the spring of 1899, these attractions had begun to
impair the attendance at Mr, 1, M, Bowents Sunday School
class of boys at the University Methodist Church, He investi-
gated and was aroused to action by evidence of vice and bmt-
tality found at Agricultural Park, He began a vigorous
campaign which finally resulted in the annexation of the
University Mstrict to Los Angelea, in the recovery of the
Park by the people, and in the establishment of Exposition
Park with its several excellent buildings and instltutlons.
--
Section, 48.
39 Van Aken, "IiZstory of Exposition Park,* 246.

47
residents of the dlst~ct and the sports of Agricultural Park,
43
Both elements carried on vigorous campaigns, There was a plea
in favor of the issue from every pulpit in the section, The
race track management continued to Ure extra employees and
to permit them to camp on the grounds. When accused of
colonizmng, F, D, Black, the manager of the track, replied,
{%ll, what OX it?''? He accused tb proponents of the pro-
posal of the same practice,
IW. We Me Bowen, the Sunday School teacher and leader
in the fight, was ill the night before the election. Never-
theless, he engaged a room near the Park and brought the
Justice of the Peace from Gardena there. MI?, Bowen prepared
a large number of John Doe warrants, and spent all night
preparing for the election.
The next day he let it be known that the names of
illegal registrants had been listed and that any who attempted
to vote would be arrested, He then spent the day watching
the polls, These precautions may well have aaved the day,
for the victory for annexation was a very close one. The
majority was but twenty-three votes, 44
The &vening i3xpreaa poZnted out that not all those
opposed to the annexation were of' the gambling element,
Many
43 Los Angelas Times, May 15, 1899.
44 Brode, "History of the University Section."
tax-payers of Los Angeles were reluctant to take in more
territory, They reasoned that the last districts annexed
made up an ma of one-fifth of the city, yet supplied only
one-twentieth of the taxes, and therefore drew on ths rest
of the city for the expenses of street-sprinkling, street
lights, and other municipal services. Within the Unfversity
District, many residents believed the higher city taxes would
not be balanced by the improvements for many years,
45
The - Times reported that the Agricultural Park adher-
enta had been plied with 13. quor all the day before the elec-
tion, When the bars closed, a keg of beer was brought out,
The yells of this group could be heard all over the region.
The next day most of them were too drunk to walk, much less
vote, and only four appeared at the polls,
At four-thirty in the morning, twenty-five adherents
of annexation with three deputy sheriffs and the Justice of
the Peace from Ballma Tomship were ready to repel an
expected attempt to rush the polls. Over one-half of tbse
trying to vote were challenged by one side or the other and
subjected to a rigid cross-examination, One man, questioned
as to his residence, stated that he had been sleeping at the
cluohouse recently, and that his ncime was where his blankets
were, for tney were his only worldly possesrsions except for
1
45 Los Angelea Bvening Express, May 23, 1899.
!*
49
the clothes he wore. Of 400 names on the registration list,
only 255 bona fide ballots were cast. Of sixty-two cases
investigated by detectives employed by the Good Government
Al.liance, only two voted.
One was bard to remark, UTherets
too much funny business going on, and we don't want to trg to
1
I
Thio election WAS held on May 24, 1899. The result
i
was 130 ballots in favor of annexation and 116 against it.
In Los Angeles the vote was 1,799 to 1,478 in favor of the
addltion. The Seventh and Eighth Wards voted against it.
Many here were Denocrats and did not want the Republican
voters of the University DlatrZct in the city.
ken the victory was announced the residents of the
University District had a big celebration with risky rockets
sent into the Ehpyrean blue to burst in myriad stars, pro-
claiming to the city and surrounding country the joy the
On June 12, 1899, this area of 1,67 square miles, or
1,134 acres was made a part of the City of Los Angeles. It
is the dlstrict marked !do, 6 on the annexation map.
Mr. Bowen contlnued his good work, He first raised
$25,000 to purchase the park. Then when adge Slauson sug-
gested that the title to the property had been fraudulently
46 LOS Angelea Times, my 25, 1899.
50
obtained and Mr, Lee C. Gates of the Title Lnsurance and Trust
Company found a flaw in it, Bdr. Bowen began a suit. The
Supreme Court found that this was public property and could
not have legally been given away.
47
Later Mr. Bowen's plan for development of the park was
carrfed out. Los Angeles County appropriated $150,000 for
the original build- of the Historical and Art idusem, the
c~ty improved and cared for tne grounds including the large
sunken garden, and the state spent $250,000 on the permanent
Exposition Building. 48 A large annory was also built. Later
the Collseum was constructed where the Olympic Games of 1932
and so many other famous spectacles have been witnessed.
Southern California owes a great debt of' gratitude to
Mr. Bowen and the otmr public-spirited citizens who made
this great cultural and recreational center possible. The
transformation from a den of iniquity to its present state is
little snort of miraculous,
C OLEGROVE
Colegrove annexed itself to Lo8 hg8les a few months
before Hollywood, This county territory was larger and more
populous than lbllywood proper, Tt was bounded by Fountain
47 Van Aken, "History of l3qosition Park," 249,
Avenue on the north, Zkposltlon Boulevard on the south,
Highland Avenue on the west, and on the east by the Los Angeles
c$ty limits. It contained 5,579 awes or 8,72 square miles,
The population was given as 10,000 and the assessed valuation
was $12,000,000,
Postmaster Flint was active among the supporters of
annexation who urge& tat, In additLon to better water supply
and sewage &sposal, this district needed additional fire
protection and desired city government, The owners OF large
acreages were reported as being nearly the only residents
opposed to the move,
A cartoon in a paper of tbis date shows a marrlage
being solemnized between Miss Los Angeles and Mr. West hd,
as Colepove was familiarly called.49
Colegrove was named for former United States Senator
Cornelius Cole, the grand old man who had owned much property
in Colegrove.
This election took place October 19, 1909, The vote
vlthin Lo8 Angeles was 5,761 in favor of, and 318 opposed to
the annexatlon, In Colegrove the vote was 520 to 94, The
affirmative victory was at the rate or 20 to 1 in Los Angeles
and 5 to 1 in the district annexed. Annexation went into
effect October 27, 1909,
*' Loa Angel68 -9 Times October 20, 1909.
52
In an editorial the Times expressed gratification at
-
the result, saying that opposit~on had been expected, but
little had developed, It stated that Los Angeles was now
fifth in area among United States cities, and that it was a
good idea to gain 10,000 citizens before the census ovhich
would be taken next year, 50 The paper furtner stated that
the consolidation of city and county government was the real
goal for whlch to work. The area of the city was now 85.16
square miles.
HOLTXWOOD
Soon after Lo8 Angeles had success~lly taken in
San Pedro and Wiilmington by means of the Shoestring Strip,
51
thus gaining a harbor and becoming a seaport, she reached
out in the opposlte direction and took in a city which was to
become more famous than herself. Many people who know no th-
ing of Los Angeles, not even that it ezdsts, know much about
Hollywood. A letter written from Belgian Congo and addressed
to Los Angeles was missent to La Sala, a nearby station. The
postmaster there, for the benefit of his less learned oolleagues,
wrote in French, "mot for La Sala--Los Angeles, by Hollywood. ,152
50 Los Angeles - Tlmes, October 18, 1909.
51 Post 6476.
-9
52 Letter in possession of Willard F. Leaned.
-
53
This ia but one example of many that might be mentioned to
ahow how fiollywood, the center of motion picture production
and more recently of radio program production has over-
shadowed the fame of the city that absorbed her. It has not
always been this way. At one time Hol1ywood was known for
I
her lemons, flowers, vegetables, and beautiful homes. Today
she would be known for' beautiful hames and churches, were It
not for the attention that motion pictures and the activities
of the people who make thsm have ccmmanded throughout the
The community origfnally known as Hollywood is situated
in the Cahusnga Valley, or more properly at the foot of the
Santa Monica Mouneains. The center of the town was determined
by Cahuenga Pass--a low gap fomed in the hills where a canyon
from the north meets a canyon from the south. This was an
old trail and road used by early travelers. The tom proper
oontained 2,048 acres or 4.48 square miles. It was bounded
on the east by a line near Vermont Avenue, on the south by
Fountain Avenue, on the west by Fairfax Avenus, and on the
north by the hills. This is a comparatively amall area, but
the term a~ollywoodfl has today aoquired a much broader canna-
tation. Motion pictures produced In nHollyraodfi are in reallw
made in Culver City, Burbank, Weatwood, or in one of the ntmrer-
ous locations to wMch the major studios have moved from their
o~iglnal a1 tuations on Sunae t Boulevard, Indeed, Culver City
54
residents started a camppign to change the name of their clty
to *~ollywood,~ arguing that three studios there made more
pictures than the old Hollywood, and that this community had
lost the right to its name when it Pecame a part of
Los Angeles.
Hollywood was begun on the old Rancho La brea, It was
named, it is said, by Mrs. H. H. Wllcox, the wife of one of
the earliest subdividers, A woman on a traln deacrfbed to
MPS. llllcox her home near Chicago which she called nHollywood."
Mrs. Wllcox liked the name and had it applied to the new
district, She planted mgllsh holly on her place, but it
bled.53 The Calif ornla holly, or toyon, whleh grows in the
hills, probably had nothing to do with the name,
Since the failure of its water supply was the most
important reason for the decision of Hollywood to joln its
larger neighbor, tt la important to present in brief outline
the history of this supply, The first settlers used the
swface water from tne canyons or f'ra springs. The water
from some of these springs la atill bottled and sold as
mineral or mountain springs water. When ehis sowoe proved
inadequate, shallow wells with sweeps, rindlasses, or buckets
were used. Next came windmills and small pumps wlth tanks
on stilts. Aa the water table began to fall, it was necessaFy
53 ~rin O. ~mr, - he aistom of ~o~~grood, -73.
-

agreed aith him, opposed the annexation, and the movement
failed.
In 1907, a group of Los Angeles citizens brought suit
against the city to stop a practice whereby Los Angeles had
been permitting the West Hol3ywood Water Campany to pump
200,000 gallons of Sam Fernando Valley water into Hollywood
in exchange for an equal quantity of water f'rom the company's
wells near Jefferson Street. It was contended that this water
was not equal in quality to the river water. 58
This suit threatened death to Hollywood, but about this
time WLlliam Bdulholland promised that water from OoPenta Valley
would be in ths city by 1913, and this prospect of an abun-
dance changed the attitude of Los Angeles toward taking in
more territory, and wlthh three years Hollywood, &st
Hollywood, and Colegrove had joined. 59
The movement was initiated largely within the city of
Hollyrsood itself, and among the more active supporters of
the project were the mayor, George H. Dunlop, and the members
of the city ~ounc~l.6O
The sponsors of the movement argued that their city
58 Palmer, Ustory of Hollywood, 177.
-
OU R. F. budey, "~he Role of water supply in the
Expansion of Los Angeles Through Annexation," 7.
58
b
was too densely populated for cesspools to be used any longer,
t
that aurromding territories were too expensive to be used
for sewer farms, that their community was not wealthy enough
1 to build an outfall sewer to the sea, and that, therefore,
I the only answer to the sewage ckLsposal problem was to con-
I
aolidate with their larger nelghbor and connect w%th its out-
Hollywood had had good govement and had made much
progress. The Lo8 Angeles Times described it as *a beautiful
-
suburbn wLth a property valuation of $7,000,000, paved
streets, "magnificent sdhools. i@62 he population was esti-
mated at 5,000. This paper attributed the consolidation to
the need for an adequate water supply and a sewage diaposa3.
outlet. The result of the vote was a foregone conclusion,
since little opposition to the move developed in either city.
The election was held January 24, 1910. In Los hgeles
the vote was 6,224 to 373--a maJoriat;y of 5,851. In Hollywood
the vote was 409 to 18, a majority of 391, or aa affirmative
rictorg. at the rate of almost 23 to Within Loa Angeles
the vote was at the rate of 12 to 1. The ordinance of con-
solidation went uto effect February 7, 1910.
61 Palmer, Hlstoq of Hollywood, 177.
-
62 Los Angeles - Times, Jarmary 25, 1910.
63 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, I, 99.
59
A ceremony was held at the Hollywood City Hal1 on the
afternoon of February 7th. men a telephone call to
Sacramento disclosed that the consolidation papers had been
f'iled at 2t00 otclock, ths Hollywood records and $100,000
were turned over to the Los Angeles authorities, Mayor George
Dunlop of Hollywood made a speech expressing his pleasure at
the union. Mayor Mexander of Los Angeles, In reply, wel-
comed the suburb into the city and said that the union would
be mutually advantageous, for Hollywood needed Los Angelesp
water and sewer facilities, while Los Angeles needed the
splendid territory of Hollpirood.
64
EMT HOLLYWOOD
East Hollywood, an unincorporated district adJoining
Hollywood, soon annexed itself to the city, Many of the ame
conditions which involved Rollyrsood also applied to Bast
Hollywood: desire for adequate, municipally owned water,
sewage disposal, and city government with better fire and
police protection,
The Times estimated that the area had a population of
-
3,000 persons, but this was probably high. The taxable value
of the property was set at #3,000,000, Other advantages to
the clty lay in its location. It would close a gap between
64 Los dngales - Tlmes, February 8, 1910.

61
bonded indebtednese of the city already in force, but would
have to bear its part of any future debt, A special election
in Los Angeles for the voting of harbor and power bonds was
postponed until April 12, 1910, so that this &strict would
be liable for tts share,
67
ARROYO SECO
8
The Arroyo Seco District lies on both sides of the
HLghland Park Mstrict, It comprises the smaller sections
horn as Glassell Park, Elliot Place, Mount Washington, West
Hie;hland Park, North Highland Park, York Valley, parts of
Annandale and San Rafael Heights, Hennon, Arroyo Seco, an8
Rose Hill. It is contiguous to the northern charter boundary
of Los Angelea for a short distance, to Glendale (then the
city of Tropico) on the west, to Eagle Rock on the north, and
to South Pasadena and lllhambra on the east.
An attempt to annex itself to the city made by this
district without the eastern section, was defeated. Ln this
first attempt Los Angelea had voted to receive it, but the
suburbs decided to stay out, In 1912 the boundaries of the
annexation dlstrlct were changed and another attempt was made.
The region was described as "a large section of
beautifully located territoryn by the Los Angeles Times, whlch
67 LOS dngel8~ -* Times February 19, 1910,
62
estimated its population at 12,000 and its property valuation
at $16,000,000,
According to this paper the residents of the suburbs
wished to be annexed so that they might enjoy a five-cent
c&fare and electric power at amn cents per kilowatt hour.
They hoped for lower water rates, fire and police protection,
better school and:general city advantages, Lower fire insur-
ance rates were expected,
68
To the voters in the city the Times stated that this
-
large area was composed of' the best sort of citizens; that
the &strict, under the terms of the p~oposed annexation,
had agreed to assume its ahare of harbor, power and aqueduct
bonds already voted or authorized in the future by the city;
that the city had voted once before to receive the district;
that it was very desirable to acquire such a large addition
of property on which to distribute municipal burdens. 69
There was little campaign excitement, and as expected,
the vote was very light both in Los Angeles and the Arroyo Seco
region, In the city, the ffve precincts in the northeast por-
tion polled a heavy vote, tallying a favorable vote of 666 to
158. Highland Park and Gamranza recommended their neighbor
for admission by a vote of 310 to 12. The only prsclnct which
68 Los Angeles Times Februaq 1, 1912.
-*
69 Ibid., Febmary 2, 1912,

65
San Pedro. Starting at San Pedro, the western boundary follows
Western Avenue to a point about one-half mile above Victoria
Street, where It runs east to Vermont Avenue and thence north
to Manchester Avenue, where it turns west to a line which is
an extension of the western boundary of the University Dis-
trict. The shoestring is about one-half mile wide.
The large area aid not enter the city merely to be the
means of enabling Los Angeles to build a harbor. It needed,
and was promised, better schools, police and fire protection,
and other municipal advantages. These 83?guments appealed to
!
the better class of citizens and secured the victory.
i
At the last minute, great opposition to the proposal
1
developed in that part of the district that was known as
j
i
Green Meadows. The reason for this was that a city ordinance
,
forbade gambling on horseraces by mews of "pool selling," a
practice then in vogue at Ascot Park Fn the proposed annexa-
1
tion district. The Los Angeles Times stated that, "all the
-
pikers and dopesters and chambermaids of the raclng stables
went to work to defeat the plan." Ward heelers were employed.
I
9
The polls were guarded and many votes were challenged. The
\
result was very close and aptly called "annexation by a hair.ri1
In the Shoestring the tally showed 213 ballots favoring 4
2
the measure and 203 against It. By a margln of ten votes was
1 ~oa Angelea -* ~imes November 13, 1906.
Los Angeles, City, Clerk, Election Returns, I, 19.
66
the building of Los Angeles Harbor possible, In Los Angeles
the vote was overwhelmingly in favor of the proposal that
promised so much. There the vote was 6,612 to 911. The
Los Angeles City ordinance annexing the Shoestring became
effective December 24, 1906.
WILMIr;CwoI~
After the successful annexation of the Shoestring
Strip, the way was open for the consolidation of Los Angeles
with the port citles of Wilmington and San Pedro and the
building of the Los Angeles Harbor,
Wilmington, the first city to be joined wlth the metro-
polis, was founded by Phineas Banning, the famous stage coach
operator, He had been running a stage line from San Pedro to
Los Angeles and decided to transfer his business to this new
location, which he called New San Pedro. This would shorten
the trip by four miles, .
The new city and port soon was doing considerable busi-
ness. Banning had lighters and small steamers to bring goods
and passengers to shore since the water was too shallow for
large vessels to do so,
3
Appropriations were secured from Congress to deepen
the approach to the harbor. From 1871 to 1892 $954,000 was
!
Walter B. Holstein, - A History - of Wilminnton, passim.
!

was 13,739 to 221.
18
dy tfiis electron, 9.93 square miles or 6,358 acres were
added to the metropolis, The union became effective on
August 28, 1909.
SAN PEDRO
San Pedro Bay was probably dLscovered in 1842 by
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who named it the Bay of Smokes. 19
The smoke is said to come from fires set by the Indians in a
rabbit drive,
Later it was called the mbarcadero de San Gabriel, as
it was the port for the missLon of that name. Ships anchored
about a mile off shore, It was a center of smuggling, because
the only custom house was at hfonterey, and the officer oi' the
port of San Pedro was usually in Los Angeles. Catalina Island
was a base for smugglers.
The first American ship to take on a cargo of hides
and tallow is said to have put in during We year 1805.~' In
1835 Dana was a member of a shipls crew that came for the same
purpose. He had a poor opinion of the port, with its bad
wlnds and the arduous toil necessary to load the ship. It was,
l8 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Retms, 1, 49,
l9 J. Gregg Layne, Annals of Los aeles, 1.
..I-
20 Margaret Gilbert Packey, Los Angeles, Proper and
-
Improper, 48.
-
72
however, the source of the largest amounts of cargo.
21
From
1800 to 1848, 5,000,000 hides and 28,000,000 pounds of tallow
were loaded here. One thousand per cent profits for the
vessels, 200 in number, were not uncommon. The vessels brought
from New Ehgland articles scarce in California, to trade for
the hides and tallow, even though foreign vessels were pro-
22
hibited from dolng 14.
After 1850 the port was used by travelers going to
and from San Francisco by boat, for this was easier than the
trlp by stage coach. The fare for the voyage was $20.00 with
an additional charge of $2.50 for a trip from ship to shore.
The fare on the stage from San Pedro to Los Angeles varied
from time to time.
23
Banning promoted the first railroad from Los Angeles.
This had to be laid on piles for three and a half miles. As
a result of this improvement, the assessed valuation of the
harbor doubled in two years, Harbor traffic increased from
2,000 tons in 1851 to 60,000 tons in 1872. A jetty was built
from Deadman's Island to Rattlesnake Island, now Terminal
Island. The channel was deepened, but it was obvious that an
expensive breakwater was necessarg,
24
21 Richard 2Ienry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast 109.
- - -9
22 Mackey, Los Angeles, Proper and Improper, 48.
23 Ibid., 50.
-
24 Ibid 54-55.
-' 9
73
A fight developed between the interests which wanted
San Pedro and Wilmington to become the harbor for Los Angeles
and the Southern Yac~fic Railroad and other persons who wanted
to improve Santa !ulonica Bay, This was a long and bitter
struggle which has been well told by several writers,
25
Senator Stephen White of California led ths fight for a "free
harborw at San Peso which would not be under the control 02
one railroad, Senator Frye of Ilaine visited San Pedro and
reported, nThe Lord has not grven you much to start with, You
propose to ask the government to create a harbor for you
almost out of whole cloth," In spite of recommendations by
the War Department to the contrary, efforts were continued to
have Congress appropriate money for the Santa Monica project
instead of for the one at San Pedro, At last, Senator White
was victorious and the first load of: rock was dumped near
Point Firmin on April 26, 1899, By 1910, after the consoli-
dation of San Pedro and Los Angeles, a breakwater two miles
long had been constructed,
26
The benefits of a free harbor are manifest today, for
several railroads have access to it, and the Board of Harbor
Cormnissioners wntrols 95 per cent of the forty-five miles of
harbor facilities,
27
25 ldackey, - Los Angeles, Proper - and Dnproper, 56.
26 Ibld 56-57.
-* '
27 -* Ibid 9 57.

75
opponents had no effective leadersnip, and were in hichng.
The paper stressed the importance of every vote. 29
The sane evening a big rally was held in which speakers
warned against illegal votmg. The San Pedro Trustees were
charged with derelictfon of duty and the crowd cheered, The
increase in realty values in wew York, resultug from the con-
solidation of its suburbs, was cited as an argument in favor
of union, Glowing propnecies were made concerning the future
of the harbor ater its improvement and the completion of the
Panama Canal. Mayor Alexander said, "Ln development of the
harbor you will get two dollars for every dollar you put in,
If you come in, it will be a jug handle for you, If you stay
out you will get nothing. ri 30
It was predicted that domestic gas rates would be
reduced from $1.50 to 80 cents per thousand cubic feet, A
25 per cent reduction in charges for electricity was promised.
Better schools, fire and police protection would be assured.
It was stated that, whereas the San Pedro Trustees were
tr~fling arith squatters, Los Angeles officials would not give
valuable harbor rights away. Joseph Scott charged, "I under-
stand that there are men so low that they would deprive a girl
of her means of livelihood because her brother la a friend of
29 Los Angeles -8 Times August 11, 1909.
30 -* Ibid * August 12, 1909.
1 cons01idBtion
!
Oppos~tlon to the propoaal was said to come from the
i
ealoon keepera, oertain corporations in San Pedro, and the
I Southern Pacific Railroad. "Anti* a to spit out venom at the
ballot boxn was the headline in the paper the next day. EJo
oppos~tion was anticipated in Loa Angeles, 31
The election +was held on August 12, 1909. The final
tally showed 726 votes in favor of and 227 against consoli-
dation. In Los Angeles, the favorable vote was 11,587 to
The victorg was fittingly celebrated in Los Angeles
and San Pedro. The Los Angeles Times exulted in the restilt
-
of the 3 to 1 vote. It said that the heads of the San Pedro
corporations could not lead their employees to vote against
consolidatlon, W. D. Stephens was quoted as saying, his Is
the end of an eighteen-year fight for a free harbor. n 33
Aa a result of' the consolidation, an area of 4.61
aquare miles or 2,948 acres was added to Los Angeles. The
official date of the conaolidation was August 28, 1909.
OSTEllD
The smallest district ever to be annexed is No, 24 on
'1 LOS Angeles ~imes, ~ugust 12, 19~9.
32 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, I, 49.
Los Angeles - TLne*, August 13, 1909.
77
the Annexation Kap. It is known as Ostend, Its area is but
.0015 of a square mile or .98 of an acre. It is located on
the ocean side of Tenninal Island near Long Beach Gbor.
Los Angeles desired this triangular territory in order
to gain valuable tidelands. The base of the triangle was at
the beach, and its diverging angles covered some flats useful
to harbor development,
The election was held on May 27, 1919, and resulted in
a vote of 3 to 0 in favor of annexation, 34 'Illis became effec-
tive on July 11, 1918.
DODSON
District No, 27 is an ''L" shaped territory of 1-05
square miles or 673 acres west of San Pedro, bisected by
Western Avenue and north of the Fort McArthur Addition. It
was a new subdlvfsion needing a water supply and the usual
city services,
By a vote of 5 to O at the election held June 6, 1919,
Dodson decided to join the city. 35 This became final on
JUy 23, 1919,
Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, 1, 569.
36 Ibid 689.
-. ,

=OR VIm
District Ho, 30 ia just south of the Peck Addition,
and also east of Western Avenue, Its motives for annexation
were the sane as those of Peck, Harbor Viewts area was ,175
of a square mile or 112 acres.
The vote was very close, 29 to 27, at the election on
R
July 31, 1919, when the district decided upon annexation,
40
This became effective on September 25, 1919,
VEmdOElT
This &strict, No. 47, is on the western line of the
Shoestring Strip along Vermont Avenue, Its northern limit is
just north of lmperial Boulevard and its southern limit is
just south of Redondo Boulevard. The area is ,025 of a square
mile or 16 acres,
At the election on faarch 30, 1923, the vote was 3 to 0
in favor of annexation, 41 Thls became final on May 17, 1923.
HAMILTON
District No, 61 is at the ocean between Fort McArthur
and White Point, Its area is .44 of a square mile or 282
acres, It wars a new subdivision whse water system was taken
40 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, I, 689.
41 -* Did ) 11, 143,

CHAPTER IV
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY
The San Fernando Valley is that level area lying
between the Santa Monica Edountains and the Sierra bladre Range.
Through it runs the course of the Los Angeles River, and its
small tributaries or3 as they are locally called, washes,
This river becomes a destroying flood in rainy whters, but
is dry in most places in the summer, The valley has, for the
most part, a good soil underlaid by the boulders and gravel
brought down by the stroams from the mountains, This under-
ground basin was formerly well filled w%th water, but the
sinking of many wells seriously lowered the underground water
The first grant of land in the valley was Rancho Encino
to Francisco Reyes in 1795, but two years later this rancho
was transferred to the new San Fernando bfission, and Reyes was
given land elsewhere.' The land was first used for grazing
cattle, then for raising wheat arrd barley. Dry fanaing was
successFully introduced, and sugar beets were extensively
grown, Wells were sunk, and though the city prohibited some
ranchers from pumping waters2 it seems to have tolerated
Frank 8. Keffer, The History of San Fernando Valley,
- --
pumping on the part of others. The practice seems to have
been to permit a little pumping for domestic and garden use so
long as this did not interfere with Los Angeles' water supply.
Irrigation was necessary to the proper development of the
valley, and since the water supply was under the control of
Los Angeles, there seamed little hope that this big, fertile,
thirsty valley would ever become a place of cities, gardens,
and orchards.
About 1905, Los Angeles became aroused over the water
situation in the city, The population was increasing with
great rapiaty, and the prospect of a water shortage became
very real. Experts testified that all available sources
could not take care of more than 450,000 people, and to
Los Angeles this seemed an intolerable situation. Various
possible sources of water were scouted until finally
William Mulholland came in with the scheme for bringing the
waters of the Owen's River, 250 miles across mountains and
desert, to Los Angeles. Prominent citizens soon bought large
acreages in Owen's Valley. On September 7, 1905, the citizens
of Los Angeles voted a bond issue for the building of ths
aqueduct. This created a debt of $110 per capita and was con-
sidered a daring thing to do,
The story of the building of this aqueduct has often

88
district had met all the demands of the city, including the
agreement to assume its pro rata burden of the bonded indebted-
ness of the city,
13
The mayor of Los Angeles, H, H, Rose, issued the argu-
14
ments for the proposal :
1. Annexation will underwrite the bonds and
taxes of the city;
2, The valley has agreed to construct at its
own emense a local water distributing system and
turn it over to the city free of charge,
3, The valley must pay the price of water fixed
by the city,
4,
The valley must not expect greater municipal
service than what the taxes will pay for,
William Mulholland wrote :
15
Since it is manifest that the water to be delivered
by the Los Angeles Aqueduct plus the waters already
owned by the city . . . is too great in amount for
the area at present enbraced in the city limits, the
proper thing to do is to extend the city's boun-
daries , . . Close by her doors are extensive areas
of available lands for this purpose, requiring the
least possible outlay for the construction of water
works, . . , Water for this area is for agriculture
now9 for domestic use later,
The city attorney argued that the city could fix the
water rates in the new district, that the water should be
distributed only to distrlcta within the city, that future
l3 Ias Angeles -9 Thes May 3. 1915.
l4 Ibid May 2, 1915.
-* 9
l5 Ibid May 3, 1915,
-* 9
89
withdrawal of water Born this area would not be necessary, and
that annexation would atrength91.1 and protect the city's legal
position In the maintenance of its rights and titles to water
of the aqueduct and the Los Angeles River, 16
On the morning of the election an article in the Times
-
stated that the city was paying $5,000 a day for interest
and on the sinking fund and was getting practically no revenue
from the aqueduct, The blame was placed on nHigh Line Graham,"
a proponent of a acheme for taking the waters of the aqueduct
by a high line to the citrus orchards above Glendora and
San Mmas. It was stated that he had dominated the water
board under Mayor Alexander, and although the people had voted
the high line scheme down, many still believed it to be the
best solution to the problem of the surplus water, and were
opposing the San Fernando Valley annexation for that reason,
The paper stated the belief that
. . , if the comprehensive distribution of aque-
duct water depends on the 'high linen the city
will go bankrupt before the aqueduct is placed on
a paying basis. San Fernando Valley, thirsty,
spreads out at the portals of the aqueduct,
The land owners in San Fernando Valley had tried to
come to terms with previous city a~nistratlons, but without
success, However, the incumbent admlnllatration had appointed
an annexation commission, The valley, it was said, would have
l6 Los Angeles Times, May 3, 1915,
-
90
to get under 90 per cent of the city's bonded indebtedness,
William Iulholland owned only &out one hmdred acres in the
applied to dry land, The city bad not opposed the nine pre-
vious annexations.
17
The result of the election was closer than previous
ones--37,662 for and 24,982 against, roughly 3 to 2 instead
of 20 to 1.18 The ordinance went Into effect May 22, 1915.
The area of the city had been more than doubled over night,
wlth 284.81 square miles. It was the largest city In area in
the United States, and the Joking began in earnest,
Thirteen other parts of the valley, including Sunland
and Tujunga have since joined the city. The reasons for
their joining were largely the same aa for the district
described above.
OWENSMOUTH
This district, No, 19, is the community now known as
Canoga Park. A porticm of the water distributing system In
San Fernando Valley was left out of the valley annexation to
avoid possible legal complicatlons. A water district had
been organized in San Fernando Valley while in county terri-
torg, If the entire valley became a part of the city, the
l7 Los Angeles -9 Times May 4, 1915.
l8 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, I, 403.

92
Mountains, It contains 8.3 square miles or 5,313 acres,
On We 2, 1917, by a vote of 68 to 15, the district
decided to join the city, 22 The annexation bec- f lnal on
April 11, 1918,
0RANm COVE
District NO. 25 is in a canyon at the west end of the
Verdugo ails east of Sunland Boulevard. Its area is .23 of
a square mile or 146 acres,
The vote of 5 to 0 in favor of annexation at the elec-
tion held on July 27, 1918, was a preliminary to the union
which became official on November 13, 1918,
23
WEST LAHKERSHIM
TMs district lies west of the community of North
Hollywood, Burbank Boulevard bisects It, It is Annexation
Mstrict No, 26, and the area is 1.17 square miles or 746
On April 5, 1919, by a vote of 38 to 29, the residents
of this district requested admission to Los Angeles.
24
Loa Angeles decided to accept them and on June 17, 1919, the
union was complete.
22 Los Angeles City Clerk, glectlon Returns, I, 420A.
23 Ibid 564,
-* *
24 Ibid 689.
-* *

LANgwsHIL¶
District No, 52 is ths conmrunity now called North
. .
Holl~ood, west of Burbank, It contains 7.64 square miles or
4,890 acres,
estimate of the cost of obtaining water, since they stated
tbir intention of starting annexation proceedings,
28
The election was not held until October 21, 1923, The
vote was 572 to 441 in favor of annexation, 29 This was cosn-
plete on December 29, 1923,
PROVIaENCI A
This district, No. 53, lies between Hollywood and
Burbank's boundary at the Los Angeles River, west of Griffith
Park and east of Cahuenga Pass, Most of it is in the hills.
Its area is 4.82 square miles or 3,085 acres,
By a vote of 21 to 0 this section decided upon annex-
ation on October 4, 1923. The official date of annexation is
February 4, 1924,
30
28 Goudey, "Role of Water Supply,". 29.
29 Ins Angeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, 11, 362.

TUNA CANYON
District No. 70 lies south of the Tujunga addition in
the verdugo Hills. It contains 7.67 square miles or 4,910
acres, Most of the residents live in La Tuna Canyon,
On May 14, 1919, He W, kansen requested the assistance
of the Water Board in.furthering annexation so that the die-
trict could get city water,
33
on that date ths vote was 140 to 17 in favor of annexation.
This was complete on November 18, 1926.
TurnGA
Tujunga, District NO. 81, is between the Verdugo Hills
.
area is 8.7 square miles or 5,568 acres. It was an incorpor-
Several attempts at consolidation were defeated,
probably because the residents doubted that city water could
be obtained even if the union were effected. There was dis-
pute as to the necessity for more water, In 1924 the dietrict
waa told that it must depend on its own resources in case of
33 Los Angeles City, ~e~astment of Water and Power,
Records, cited by Goudey, "Role of Water S~pply,~ 30.
34 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Electlon Returns, 11, 556.

99
territory with the result ant permanent water supply and cheap
electricity which started the growth of ths valley's popula-
tion and industries.
The citizena of the valley have sometimes complained
of high taxes, high water rates, insufficient municipal ser-
vice and the like, The valley seems to have reached only the
threshold of its development. More homes were being built
here than in any other part of the city just before World
mar iI. People of wealth, particul&ly the motlon picture
colony, are buying small "ranchesw of' one to five acres and
ralsing horses or fnlt id flowers. Here it is possible to
have enough land for the swimming pool, tennis court, and
gardens at a moderate cost, Other areas in the valley have
people of moderate means who supplement their incomes on an
acre or two by all sorts of ingenious methods, Stibdivisiona
are rapidly filling up *th houses. The valley was first
good only for grazing, grain farming and dry farming, then
It now seems destined to become covered with suburban develop-
ment and fine estates,
Keffer, History of & Fernando Valley, 83.

101
PALMS
One of the most irregularly shaped areas to join the
city mas the district adjoining Culver City known as Palms,
The reason for the irregularity, according to one historian
was the necessity for taking in advocates and omitting the
opponents of annexation, The western boundary resembled
"the teeth of a Brobdingnagian This gerrymandered
district--Wo. 14--lies west of the irregular boundary of the
Colegrove AdditLon, which was about the line of Highland Avenue,
The southern boundary is still the city limits line running
east and west on Coliseum Street to Culver City. On the
north side tne boundary was at Sdn Vicente at one point, but
was on Pico most of the way, The western boundarg, as men-
tioned, was very irregular, Washington Boulevard lies near
the center of the area.
The first attempt of this section to secure annexatfon
to the city failed, The campaign was vigorously contested
wtth considerable amounts of money being spent by both sides
-
on pamphlets and advertising, The proponents of annexation
argued that a better water supply was necessary, They also
-
held out the hope of a lower street-car fare. Another argu-
ment appealed to the oonsciences of the voters, It was stated
J, Y. Guinn, "How the Area of the City of Los Angeles
Was Enlarged,* Historical Society of Southern California - Pub-
lications, 1914, 180,
102
that the growth of the Palms and Culver City sections was due
solely to the proximity of Lo8 Angeles, and that since they
accepted the benefits conferred by the metropolis, they should
not dodge the responsibilities of citizenship, Lower insur-
ance rates, more street improvements, and better protection
of life and property were promised,
The opponentsi of the measure argued that the move would
result in higher taxes and the unloading of the debt of
Los Angeles on the suburb. Hollywood and San Pedro assumed
none of the city's debt when they came in, sad these critics
3
of the xneasure, According to tb state law then in force the
district seeking a~ssion might state in the petition a
request that they be made liable for their share of the city's
debt, This provision was included in the Palm's petition,
for the district leaders believed that Los Angeles would not
receive them otherwise. "Who requested that we be allowed to
help pay $35,000,000 with interest of $10,000 per day?" asked
the opponents.
The result of this first election held April 28, 1914,
was a vote in favor of the annexation of 385, and a poll of
264 against it.6 Although this was a majority in favor of the
Los Angeles Times, April 29, 1914.
Statutes - of California, 1913 587.
-'
Los Angeles Times, a. G.
Los dngeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, i, 402.

106
On the north, Westgate extended to the crest of the
mountains and the ddulholland Highway, and was here contiguous
to the San Fernando Valley portion of Los Angeles. On the
west the boundary reached Topanga Canyon at one point and
ended at Topanga Beach at the ocean. On the south it followed
the coastline to Santa lvlonica Canyon, then, leavvlg out the
Santa Monica Canyon &strict, it followed the boundary of the
City of Santa Monica until that crossed Milshire Boulevard.
The line then went around the land of the United States
Veterans 8 Hospital at Sawtelle and followed Sepulveda Boule-
vard south to Pico Boulevard. Beverly Hills city lMts and a
line dram across the mountains near the Stone Canyon Reservoir
frm a point just above Sunset Boulevard constituted the
eastern boundary.
The desire of the scattered residents for a dependable
water supply seems to have been the princepal, if not the only
motive, for initiation of the annexation proceedings. In a
letter, some time after completion of annexation, in answer to
a complaint from the district about the slowness of water main
constructlan, the Board of Public Service ConmissZoners of
Loa Angeles answered its critics, stating that Weatgate had
cane into the clty for no other reason than to insure an
adequate water supply; that delay of construction was due to
the high price of metal during the war (World War I); that
there was some question as to the legality of the annexation
107
proceedings; and that it was desirable to wait to see if
Santa Monica desired to join the city In order to decide
upon the size of the mains and their location,
13
The election deciding the fate of tUs huge area was
held in Weatgate on April 24, 1916. The vote was 134 in favor
of and 89 opposed to annexation, the mall vote indicating the
small population. The election in Los hgeles was not held
until June 6, 1916. The decision there was much closer, 29,103
voters favoring annexation and 23,448 opposing the issue, a
majority of 5,655. l4 Many voters were dubious about taking in
so much mountain and farm land, It seems unusual that so many
who did vote for the measure could have had the optimism and
imagination to expect; that this section, which was then so far
out and undeveloped, could ever grow Into anything resembling
city territory.
Westgate was officially united to the metropolis on
June 16, 1916,
OCC IDOErnAL
Mstrlct No. 18, embracing 1.04 square miles or 666
acres, included Occidental College, It was a strip of county
Los Angeles Bureau of Water and Power, Records, as
cited by Goudey, "The Role of Water Supply,'' 28.
l4 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, I, 377.
108
territory lying between the Arroyo Seco Addition of Los Angeles
on tbe south and Glendale and Wle Rock on the north, It is
north of Fletcher DMve and York Boulevard, Verdugo Road
bisects it, Much of Forest Lawn Memorial Park is included in
this district.
A small, isolated, country &strict such as this always
faces many difficulties, particularly of water supply and
sewage disposal, Protection of life and property and munici-
pal sereices generally are unsatisfactory,
Residents of thls territory clrculated a petition, and
an election was called in the dlstrict for November 18, 1915,
to decide the issue of annexation. The vote was a mere 7 to O
in favor of the measure,
15
The metropolis decided on June 6, 1916, to receive
Occidental into the city by a vote of 21,472 to 20,694. Thirs
was a rather small majority of 778, l6 On June 14th, the
annexation was complete,
=ST ADAMS
The section known as West Adams lies between Exposition
Boulevard on the south and West Adams Boulevard on the north,
Culver City at Fairfax Avenue is the western boundary and the
15 Los Angeles city, Clerk, Election Returns, T, 403.
l6 Ibid. , 378,
-

moSE
!Phis territory--No, %--is in the West Hollywood Dis-
trict. Its northern boundary is the so-called county strip
line, just south of Santa Monica Boulevard. The line follows
Willoughby Street most of the way, but goes up to Ramaine
Street for two short distances. The western boundary is at
Sweetzer Avenue, the southern line is Rosewood, or there-
abouts, and the eastern line is near Highland Avenue.
The water supply was inadequate, for after they had
requested it, the Los Angeles City Water Bureau gave them a
temporary supply of water for construction purposes. This was
on Feb- 28, 1922.~' A little more than one month later,
March 30, 1922, Melrose decided upon annexation by a vote of
21
It became a part of Los Angeles on June 16, 1922,
adding .67 of a square mile or 430 acres to the area of the
metropolis. The tract built water mains meeting city specifi-
cations, paid the general assessments required of all newly-
added areas, and sold the water system to ths city for $1.00.
22
Los Angelea City, Department of Water and Power,
Records, cited by Goudey, "The Role of Hater supply,* 23.
20 -* Ibid * 31-33,
21 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Ret-s, 11, 135,
22 Los Angeles City, Department of Water and Power,
Records, cited by Goudey, &. g.
111
SAIIPTEZLE
Litigation extending from 1917 until 1922 followed the
attempt to consolidate the cities of Sawtelle and Lo8 Angeles,
A special election was called for PgELy 4, 1917, by the Sawtelle
Board of Trustees to decide whether or not to seek consolida-
tion with the larger city, The propositlon was declared
defeated on Hay 21, 1917, after a canvass of the returns by
this board showed a vote of 369 to 365 against it, They did
not count in the returns, however, the votes from consolidated
precincts No, 3 and No. 5,
An application to the Appelate Court to compel the
Board of Trustees to recanvass the vote was granted July 13,
1917, The recanvass of votes on July 24 gave a vote of 519
to 516 in favor of consolidatfon, This time all the votes
were counted. The Board now declared the issue had carried.
Wext a writ was filed in Superlor Court enjoining the
City of Los Angeles from consolidatzng with Sawtelle,
Los Angeles filed a demurrer and C, R, Hewitt, Judge of the
Superior Court, sustained the demurrer, without leave to
amend, on January 21, 1918, By action of Los Angeles City
Council the two cities were supposedly officially consoli-
dated on January 23, at 2200 P, M.
Chz January 25 Los Angeles authorities went to Sawtelle
to receive the records, impound the funds, and take over the
government, but the 3awtelle officials refused them possession.
112
On February 8 Los Angeles officials took possession, over
protest, of the Sawtelle city government and records, On
March 7 a Writ of Handamus was ffled in the Appelate Court
directed to &, W, Mecm, City Clerk of Sawtelle, demanding
the precinct registration books for use in holding an elec-
tion in Sawtelle on April 8, 1918, Los Angeles interposed a
demurrer and the court denied the writ and sustained the
demurrer,
The California Supreme Court on September 29, 1919,
declined to rehear a petition regarding the consolidation
of Sawtelle and Los Angeles.
Attorney General U. S. Webb, on November 14, 1919,
granted leave to Charles Coe, Delphin Delmas, and F, G, Blood
to sue in quo warranto to test the right of Los Angelea to
govern and tax Sawtelle. The petition alleged irregularities
in the election held May 1, 1917, in Sawtelle, The California
Supreme Court, after a hearing, decided that the consolida-
tion was illegal. This decision was handed down September 15,
1921, Jess E, Stephens, Los Angeles City Attorney, filed a
petition for a rehearing of the case before the same court on
October 5, 1921, Ten days later the court refused the petition
and ordered the decision to stand,
A month later, November 15, a petition bearing 1,150
si@;natures--600 more than required by law--was filed by resi-
dents of Sawtelle with their Board of Trustees asklng for
. 113
an election for the purpose of reconsolidation with
Los Angeles,
23
On March 18, 1921, the California Railroad Commission
reported that Sawtelle had been suffering from an inadequate
and poor water supply and service for the previous two years
at least. There was an application to the Los Angeles Water
Department for relief,
24
The election in Sawtelle in which it was finally decided
that the two cities would consolidate was held June 2, 1922,
and resulted in a favorable vote of 1,287 to 210, 25 This was
a majority of 1,077 for the measure at a rate of over 6 to 1.
The citizens of the suburb realized that their water situation
was desperate and tnat only consolidation with Los Angeles
would give perrmansnt relief, for Santa l!$onica's situation
was not too happy and annexation wtth the latter clty was the
only other alternative.
ANGUS MESA NUMBER ONE
This nearly square section of .99 of a square mile or
632 acres, PJo. 38, is bounded on the north by Exposition
Boulevard, on the west by Crenshaw Boulevard, on the south
23 The history of this litigation is to be found in the
24 Goudey, tt~he Role of Water Supply," 23.
25 Los Angelea City, Clerk, ~scellaneous - File.

115
LAmiEL CANYON
District NO. 44 is quite large--its 13.57 square miles
or 8,684 acres include most of the hills or Santa Monica
Mountains north of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. Its
northern boundary is the crest of the hills near the Mulholland
Highway. The eastern line runs across the hills near the line
of La Brea Avenue; the southern line is the Hollpood boundary,
the county strip at Sunset tloulevard in West Hollywood, Beverly
Hills1 and the northern boundary of the Westgate Addition to
the point where that boundary runs across the hills near Stone
Canyon. This line is the western boundary of Laurel Canyon
Addition. There is an island of county territory in Franklin
Canyon and a large indentation--the Doheny Ranch above
Beverly ~11s. Beverly Glen was not included.
The people living in the various canyons of the terri-
tory, primarily in Laurel Canyon, were not satisfied with
their situation. On hlag 6, 1921, C. W. Prollins of the Laurel
Canyon Land Company suggested that this area be annexsd to
Los Angeles because of the shortage of water. Petitions asking
that an election be called for this purpose were circulated in
June of 1922. The water department of Los Angeles gave tem-
porary service from Febmary until annexation was completed on
29 Los Angeles City, Ilepartment of Water and Power,
Records, cited by Goudey, nThe Role of Water Supply," 23, 24.

mile or 595 acres,
The desire for a better water supply seems to have
been the chief motive for annexation, Sewage disposal and
other city services were also desired.
The election, held on December 7, 1923, resulted in a
vote of 242 in favor of the proposal and 94 opposed to it.
Annexation became final on February 13, 1923.
38
AMNANDU
This district, No. 55, is located south and east of
Eagle Rock at the Pasadena city limits, Pasadena is the
eastern boundary of the district, and Eagle Rock the northern
and most of the western line. Hill Addition and Arroyo Seco
Addition form the 8outbrn line. The area of this district is
1.68 square miles or 435 acres,
On June 14, 1923, an official of the Mutual Water
Company of that section wrote a letter to the Board of Public
Servlce Commissionera of Los Angeles, stating that thlrty-five
consumers were dependent upon the water from one ~911, and
that that well was now dry, He begged for quick relief. Two
weeks later the people of near-by Eagle Rock petitioned for
temporary water service from Los Angeles as thelr supply of
water was gone. This relief was granted after the residents
38 Los Angelea City, Clerk, Election Returns, 11, 362.
121
had promised to permft the city to annex their district. 39
The election on December 14, 1923, resulted In a
favorable vote of 450 to 81. Annexation became final on
February 21, 1924.
40
WAG=
The Wagier Addition--No. 57--is bounded by Manchester
Avenue on the north, Van Nesa Avenue on the west, Normandie
Avenue on the east, and a line near 108th Street on the south.
A narrow strip runs east as far as Vermont Avenue. The area
described would take in the Cole Addition of sixty acres, at
the corner of Van Ness and Manohester Avenuea, wMch did not
join the city until much later.
On Jtzne 30, 1926, the Los Angeles Water Bureau received
a cmunicatlon complaining that ths Gerson Water Company was
unable to give continuous service and that the water was of
poor quality. Temporary service was given by Los Angeles. 41
Over a year later the eleotion was held, On my 18,
1924, 38 voters signified their desire to join the city,
while 17 opposed the move. Annexation was official, after
39 Los Angelea, Bureau of Water and Power, Records,
cited by Goudey, "Role of Water Supply,# 26.
Los Angeles City, Clerk, Electlon Returns, 11, 363.
Los Angel6s, Bureeu of Water yd Power, Records,
cited by Goudey, 9. e., 27.
122
action by the Los Angeles City Council, on September 8, 19~4.~~
I
The area annexed was ,94 of a square mile or 600 acres,
SANTA MONICA CANYON
Mstrict No, 63 is at the ocean and includes, as its
f
name suggests, the mouth of Santa Monica Canyon, The terri-
tory, ,17 of a square mile or 109 acres, is between Santa
Monica and the Westgate Additions,
This amall area, rather thickly populated, logically
should have joined either Santa Monica or Los Angeles. Ths
residents, on July 18, 1924, decided upon the latter city by
a vote of 38 to 21. The annexation became official on April
BEVHiIlY GLEN
District No, 64 is a rather long and narrow strip of
.91 of a square mile or 521 acres in the Santa ldonica Mom-
taina. It is surrounded by the Laurel Canyon Addition except
for a narrow entrance on the south. It includea the canyon
and boulevard of the same name north of Westwood.
On November 13, 1924, the Beverly Glen Protective
League began a movement to secure city water, 44 On August 27,
42 Lo8 Angeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, L, 365.
44 Ooudep, '*The Role of Water S~pply,~~ 30.
123
1925, the election was held. The vote Was 75 to 29 in favor
I
of Annexation, and Beverly Glen became a part of the city on
45 I
October 26, 1925, I i
I
VENICE
f
This beach city and amusement center--District ho. 65-0
was an incorporated city. It Is located south and east of
Santa Monica, South of Washington Boulevard a narrow atrip
runs along the beach nearly to dl Segundo, The city included
4,105 square miles or 2,627 acres,
Venice waa founded by Abbot Kinney, who had a magnifl-
cent dream of a cultural center with canals and gondoliers in
the pattern of the Italian city of the same name, The scheme
failed, and after imported miciana and actresses of great
reputation failed to attract sufficient patronage, the charac-
ter of the city was changed to appeal to more people, A huge
swimming pool was built and a miniature Coney Island was
constructed on the pier,
By November, 1925, Venice was in trouble, There was
considerable controversy and financial dirficulty,
Many
engiaeering problems, particularly the problems of widenlng
streets and filling canals seemed too big for the small city,
45 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Retu~ns, II, 517.
46 A. C. Davis, 'The Territorial Growth of Los Angele~,~

125
a report on the cost of establishing a Municipal Improvement
,
I
District for supplying city water to Venice,
49
But to date
Venice has not formed such a district, and hence does not t
receive city water. I
f
The 22,500 persons taken into Los Angeles by the
!
consolidation constitutes the largest population group ever
taken into the city by any annexation or consolidation.
BARNES CITY
Barnes City, District Bo, 72, was incorporated, says
one investigator, to prevent annexation either to Culver City
or Los Angeles, The problem of operating the small city, the
residents decided, was worse,
The prevention proved worse than the disease, so
they innoculated themselves with the disease and came
in. It was really a fight between consolidation with
Culver City or Lga Angeles, and the partisans of
Los Angeles won,
Barnes City, containing 1.81 square miles, or 1,160
acres, is very irregular, It lies southwest of Culver City
and south and east of Washington Boulevard,
The election was held September 14, 1926. The tally
Goudey, "Role of Water Supply," 41.
50 Guy C. Maz-ion, "Annexation--the Facts," Southern
California Business, 9 :22, December, 1930,
51 Davis, "Growth of Los Angeles,' 12.
I
126
showed 261 in favor of consolidation and 153 opposed to it.52
The Los Angelea City Council favored the consolidation, and
the two cities were officially united on April 11, 1927.
This small rectangle of .09 of a square mile or 60.28
acres is at the southeast corner of Hanchester and Van Ness
Avenues. The Wagner Addition is on the south and east, end
the problems of the two districts were similar. 53
The annexation election was conducted on April 10,
1931, the result showing 6 votes to 0 in favor of the pro-
posal. 54 We area of Los Angeles, after annexation became
official on J'une 17, 1931, waa 441.83 square miles. Only
about ten square miles were added in the next fourteen years,
WESTERN AVENUE HIGHLANDS
District No. 83, containing .12 of a square mile or
74.4 acres, is west of Western Avenue at 108th Street. Its
water system was taken over and the district was supplied
with city water after annexation.
55
52 Los Angeles City, Clerk, ~acellaneous Files.
-
54 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Electlon Returns, 111, 611.
55 Goudey, "Tb Role of Water Supply," 12,

129
policy with regard to theae subdivisions. When petitioned
for a temporaq supply of water, they made it very clear that
the new subdidsion must understand that annexation must be
completed as soon as possible, and that the water mains and
pipes to be laid in the tract must conform in every respect
to the department's standards and must fit into the general
plan for the water system of: greater Los Angeles, This water
system in the tract was built to Los Angelesf specifications
by the subdivider and paid for by him. The tract was also
required to pay an assessment for Its share of the city water
system as a whole.2 This tract water system was turned over .
to the city upon annexation.
The area south of Sunset Boulevard to Baldwin Hills and
west of Highland Avenue, had seventeen subdivisions in which
thls procedure was follo~ed.~ There sere twenty-five annexa-
tions of this character, embracing 188.1 square miles, This
was 44.6 per cent of the area of the city.
4
San Fernando, Griffith Ranch, Dodson, Peck, Harbor View,
Chatsworth, Agoure, Hamilton, and Brayton have been treated in
the chapter on the San Fernando Valley and the harbor. Sixteen
others all be cmsidered in this section.
2 Goudey, Loa Angeles Bureau of Water and Power, Recorda,
as cited by Goudey, "The Role of Water S~pply,~ 31.
SAINT FRANCIS
Mzstrict NO, 31 is a small one of ,05 of a square mile
or 33 acres near North Figueroa Street, It is north of York
Boulevard and the Garvenza District and south of the Annandale
section.
The election held on December 2, 1919, resulted in 32
votes in favor of and 10 votes against annexation, 5
The water service then being given by the City of
Eagle Rock was inadequate, for a petition was presented to
Los Angeles praying for temporary service until annexation
became official, This service was extended until the official
date of annexation on February 26, 1920.
6
La Brea is another addition with a peculiar shape,
There is one rectangle bounded on the north by Fountain Avenue,
on the west by La Brea Avenue, on the east by Highland Avenue,
and on the south by Willoughby Street. This is connected by a
very narrow strip running along the west side of IIighland
Avenue with a larger area south of Wilshire Boulevard and
north of Plco Boulevard, This district is No, 34 and contains
* Los Angeles City, Clerk, Council Records, 1919, 249.
Goudey,
Role of Water Supply,' 23.
1.55 square miles or 979 acres,
The election held December 22, 1921, showed 126 voters
favoring annexatLon and 22 against itO7 The official date of
completion of the effort was February 28, 1922,
District No, 40 contains .14 of a square mile or 50
acres. The northern boundary is Washington Boulevard and the
L
southern line is West Adams Boulevard. Highland Avenue is on
the east,
This election on June 30, 1922, resulted In a unanimous
I
vote of 25 to 0 in favor of annexat~on.~ Thie became effective
on October 5, 1922,
i
HANCOCK
Hancock Addition--No. 41--is a square bounded by
I
La Brea Avenue on the west, Highland Avenue (except for the
I
La Brea Strip) on the east, llllllshire Boulevard on the wouth,
and Third Street on the north, It contains .26 of a square
mile or 169 acres, I
Temporary water service was granted on October 20, 1921, I
Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, 11, 135. I
132
before annexation.
9
The election was held on liovember 2, 1922, and resulted
10
in a unanimous vote for annexation, The vote was 3 to 0,
The date of completion of the proceedings was January 18, 1923.
&TANS
This tract of .13 of a square mile or 85 acres--No, 42-0
is located south of Santa Nonica Boulevard, west of' Smetzer
Avenue, north of o line one-half block south of Melrose Avenue,
and east of La Cienega Boulevard,
On October 2, 1923, Los Angeles was petitioned for water
by this tract. It was stated that several families had to
carry all their water,
11
On November 2, 1922, the election was held, and at that
time three voters favored annexation and none opposed it, 12
The union became official on January 18, 1923,
ABdBASSADOR
District No. 43 contains 2.63 square miles or 1,684
acres, It is located south of Beverly Hills and Pico Boulevard
Goudey, "The Role of Water Supplysi' 33.
lo Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, 11, 141.
Goudey, 2, g., 26,
l2 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, 11, 141.
133
It touches Overland Avenue at Pico at its westernmost point,
The Palms Addition--No, 14--forms the remainder of the boun-
dary
Temporary water service was given the tract by
Los Angeles from June 29, 1922, to May 16, 1923, when annexa-
tion was completed,
13
The election result was 48 to 4 in favor of annexation,
This was held on March 20, 1923,
14
C ARTHAY
This district--110. 49--is located south of Wilshire
1
Boulevard, Beverly Kills is on the west and the La Brea
!
Addition on the east and south, The eastern boundary is at
Fairfax Avenue, The tract contains .38 of a square mile or
243 acres,
This subdivision held an election on February 28, 1923.
The vote was 3 to 0 in favor of annexation, l5 This became
effective on Hay 17, 1923,
ROSEWOOD
District Bo. 50 was also a new subdivision needing a
l3 Goudey, "The Role or Water Supply,'* 26.
l4 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, 11, 142,
134
water supply. This tract of .62 of a square mile or 395 acres,
is bounded on the nest by Fairfax Amue, on the north by
Rosewood Avenue, on the south by Beverly Boulevard, and on the
east by the Fairfax Addition. The eastern boundary is the
La Brea Strip, very close to Highland Avenue.
The successful annexation election was held October 4,
1923. The vote was 4 to 0. December 2U, 1923, marked the
completion of the proceedings.
CLINTON
I
1
Clinton is a small district--No. 56--containing .05 of
a square mile or 34 acres. It is located in tbe West Hollywood
District, Sweetzer Avenue is on the west, Rosewood Avenue on
the south, Crescent Heights Boulevard on the east, and the
northern line is one-half block south of Melrose Avenue.
An election deciding the annexation issue was held on
Aprll 3, 1924. The vote was 21 to 0 in favor of the proposi-
tion. l7 Annexation was complete on May 31, 1924.
FAIRFAX MJM3E.R ONE
Fairfax Addition, Number one, contains 1.88 square miles
or 1,203 acres. This district--No, 58--is located north of
Wilshire Boulevard on both sides of Fairfax Avenue and the
l6 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, 11, 361.
l7 Ibid., 364.
135
county territory known as Gilmore Island. The western boun-
dary is the present city limits at La Cienega and Oakhurst
I
Drive. The northern boundary is at Rosewood Avenue for much
of the way, A narrow strip running just north of Wilshlre
Boulevard between Fairfax and La Brea Avenues connects the
two marn blocks of' territory. The eastern block 'extends
nearly to nighland Avenue north of Third Street and east of
La Brea Avenue.
A temporary supply of city water was furnished to this
subdivision on May 13, 1922, On April 23, 1924, the Los Angeles
Water Board wrote a letter to them reminding them that this
water was f'urnished only upon the promise of annexation, and
that there was a writ ten agreement that this supply would be
discontinued in case the proposition f ailed.18
The election was held on July 18, 1924, and was a vlc-
tory for annexation by a vote of 16 to 0. Annexation was
complete on September 8, 1924.
19
This district, 110. 60, lies north of the Veteranfa Hos-
pital at Sawtelle. It is just west of Sepulveda boulevard
and is bisected by Sunset Boulevard. It contains .123 of a
18 Los Angeles Bureau of Water and Power, Records, cited
by Goudey, ''Role of Water Supply," 31, 32.
l9 Los Angsles City, Clerk, Election Returns, 11, 365.
136
square mile or 79 acres and was surrounded by the Westgate
Addltion and the Veteranst Hospital, Thus isolated, the sub-
division found the problem of water supply and city services
insoluble except by annexation to Los Angeles,
The election was held on Iiovember 14, 1924, and resulted
In a vote of 4 to O in favor of the proposal, 20 The proceed-
ings were completed on January 8, 1925,
This is the district of .23 of a square mile or 148
acres, east of the county territory around Gilmore Stadium,
The boundaries are approximately Turd Street on the south,
La Brea Avenue on the east, Beverly Boulevard on the north,
and the county island on the west. It is District 62 on the
annexation map.
The new subdivision, needmg water, voted 18 to 0 on
March 12, 1925, to become a part of' Los Angeles. 21 April 28,
1925, was the offlcial date of the union,
District No, 67, containing .2 of a square mfle or 128
acres, is located south of Slauson Avenue and the Baldwin
20
Los Angeles City Clerk, Election Returns, 11, 407.
Hills, A line just west of Buckler Avenue is the western
boundary, The southern line is near Sixty-second Street, The
West Coast Addition line is the eastern and southern boundaries,
An annexation electfon held on February 11, 1926,
22
resulted in a vote of 7 to 0 in favor of this measure, On
May 10, 1926, this district officially became part of
Los Angeles.
MAR VISTA
This district--140. 719-01" 4,934 square miles, or 3,190
acres, is northeast of Venice and the City of Santa Monica.
The eastern line is Overland Avenue. It is northwest of
Washington Boulevard and south of Pico Boulevard,
The hope that the Los Angeles city zoning laws would
do away with sanitariums for tubercular patients and feeble-
minded persons is said to be one of the reasons for the initia-
23
tion of annexatlon proceedings.
The election was held on September 22, 1926, and
resulted in a vote of 473 In favor of the proposal and 240
against it, This was a majority of 233, 24 The proceedings
were complete on hlarch 5, 1927,
That the need for a better water supply was an important
motive for annexatlon is shown by the fact that in 1930 Afar
Vista formed a ldmicipal liaprovement District for the purpose
of obtaining city water,
VIEW PARK
View Park, District No, 77, contains only .02 of a
square mile or 12.5 acres. It is located west of Crenshaw
Boulevard, south of Vernon Avenue, and east of a line half
way between Victoria Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard,
Prompted by a desire for city water and services, the
residents of this subdivision held an election on February 11,
1930, The vote was 6 to 4 in favor of annexatfon,
became effective on April 17, 1930,
SENTf3EY
Containing only -01 or a square mile or 6.12 acres,
District NO. 78 is in the Hest Hollywood Section on the slope
of the hill north of the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and
Holloway Drive,
By a vote of 7 to 0 this tiny district decided to join
Los Angeles, 27 Without asking the oginion of the water bureau,
25 Goudey,-"The Role of Water SupplySD 43.
26 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, 111, 510.
27 -* mid 3 511.
139
tne Los Angeles City Council accepted the district, and it
became a part of the city on August 1, 1930,
28
BBI SCELLANEOUS ADDITIONS
Besides the additions already considered, eight others
jw
which joined for various reasons remain to be treated, In
1
these cases, the factor of water supply was not an Lmportant
,I
motive for annexation, Altogether, a total of 75.34 square
m
miles or 17.3 per cent of the area annexed would fall in this
4I
miscellaneous group, For the harbor, 33.5 square miles were
a
annexed. For a sewer outlet, 12.41 square miles were annexed,
*M
For general city benefits, 20 square miles joined, For a
better government, 10.39 square miles united with the city,
A..
me square mile joined to make it a better industrial site,
ZY
m
Already considered are the Southern Extension, the Southern
and Western Addition, Highland Park, Garvanza, University, the
r%
Shoestring, San Pedro, Wilmington, Vermont, Classification
Yard, Ostend, and Tujunga,
WEST COAST
This large &strict--No. 20--contains 12.41 square
28 Goudey, "The Role of Water Supply," 43.
29 Ibid., 67. Other analyses might differ somewhat
from this.- is impossible to deterndne exactly why a
certain district decided to annex, Since this analysis was
made by an official of the Water Bureau it may somewhat over-
emphasize the factor of water supply,
miles or 7,942 acres. Its annexatlon is said to have been
started by Los Angeles for the purpose of securing an outlet
for its outfall sewer. 30 Starting at the city limits at
Van iu'ess Avenue the strip extends westward above and below
Slauson Avenue, and after a turn southward to the northern
boundary of Inglewood, it runs in a narrow strip along the
northern and western boundaries of that city. At Centinela
Creek the drstrict expands to include a wide area between
Jefferson Boulevard on the northwest and Imperial llighway on
tb south. It stops at the Venice boundary near the ocean, but
a small strip runs along the beach souVnward to ii1 Segundo.
It is here that the outfall sewer outlet is located. Ballona
Creek runs through this section of the district.
An election was held on April 6, 1917, and resulted ln
a vote of 245 to 202 in favor of annexation. 31 1n LOS weles,
on June 5, 1917, the vote was 49,664 to 26,035 in favor of
the proposition. This was a majority of 13,629. 32 The offi-
cial date of the union is June 15, 1917.
This annexation received the approval of the Water
Board of Los Angeles, 33 Part of the district has needed and
received city water.
30 Goudy, ii2ihe Role of Water Supply, 67.
Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, I, 420A.
32 - Ibid., 527.
District No. 35 contain8 .33 of a square mile or 212
acres. It is a square located south of Manchester Avenue and
east of Figueroa Street.
The desire for general city benefits and municipal
services seems to have been the motive for startine annexa-
tion proceedings.
The election held on December 22, 1921, resulted in a
vote of 123 to 48 In favor of the proposal.34 The Manchester
Addition became a part of Los Angeles on March 2, 1922.
District No. 48 contains .08 of a square mile or 53
acres. It is located near the southeast corner of the
charter boundary. Its southern and western boundary is the
right of way of the Union Pacific Railroad. The eastern line
is near Indiana Street. Its annexation was desired to enhance
its value as an industrial site, 35
The vote was 4 to 0 in favor of the issue when it was
submitted to the residents at an election on March 30, 1923.~~
The union became official on May 17, 1923.
34 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, 1 135.
35 Goudey, he Role of Water Supply," 6-7.
36 Los lvlgeles City, Clerk, Election Returns, 11, 143.
GREEN MEADOWS
HOLABIRD
This district, No, 59, is just west of Laguna at the
northeast corner of the City of Vernon, and was also an indus-
trial site, It contahs but .01 of a square mile or 8 acres.
At the election on October 28, 1924, the vote was 3 to
0 in favor of annexation, 37 This became official on January
Green Fsleadows--District 66--contains 3.57 square miles
or 2,285 acres. It is located east of Figueroa Street, south
of 13anchester Avenue, west of Central Avenue, and north of a
I
line near 120th Street, I
General city benefits were desired by this district so
/I
a movement for annexation was started, 38 At this time there
was a water shortage in Los Angeles and the water board frowned
on a new annexation for the purpose of obtaining water, 80
Green ibleadows, before the election, did not admit any need of
water. As soon as annexation was completed, however, they
asked for, and obtained city water, 39 The desire for sewage
40
I of annexation, at the electfon held on December SO, 1925.
This became final on hiarch 16, 1926.
WATTS
Watts, District No. 68, is in the southern part of
Los Angeles. It was an incorporated city of 1,69 square miles
t!
or 1,081 acres lying east of Central Avenue, south of iiinety-
I'
second Street, north of lhperial Highway, and v~est of Alameda
Street,
Local dissension and a desire for better government led
!
the people of t-s rather poor district to seek consolidation
with Los Angelea.
41
mha -.A+-a 1 0012 +A CnC 4- en--- ~f' -A.I\-A~~Ac.C.(A- A+
I
I
the election in Watts on Apml 7, 1926, 42 This became offi-
cial on May 29, 1926, after action by the Los Angeles City
Council,
WIsmURN
This is a small district--30. 74--of .14 of a square
i
40 Los Angeles City, Clerk, Election Retms, 11, 517.
41 Davis, "Growth of Los Angeles," 11.
mile or 91 acres, south of Inglewood. It is a narrow strip
east of Wisebum Avenue and west of Hawthorne Avenue.
The reason for the annexation move is said to have been
a desire to prevent ;Lnglewood Prom absorbing the district. 43
The election was held on July 27, 1927, and resulted in
a vote of 12 to 7 in favor of annexation, 44 Annexation became
fLnal on February 10, 1928,
TOBIAS
District No. 79, north of Watts, contains .01 of a
square mile or 7.62 acres. The desire for city light and
power seems to have been the motive for the initiation of
annexation proceedings. 45
The vote was 8 to 7 in favor of annexation at the .
election on October 17, 1930, and the union became final on
December 22, 1930, 46
Since the beginning of 1940 there have been about ten
annexations, but the total area annexed has been less than
145
areas will join, because the completion of the Colorado River
Aqueduct has rendered surrounding territory independent in
the matter of water supply.
There has been no response to the offer of Los Angeles
to permit cities or other areas to come in under a borough
sys tern whereby such districts would be virtually autonomous.
In spite of studfea, commissions, and some promotion, a con-
solidation of city and county government, either wlthin the
present city limits or in a larger metropolitan district, seems
as far away as ever.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bancroft, Eubert Howe, astory of California. 7 vols.;
-
Sari Francisco, 1890.
Bolton, Herbert Eugene, Fray Juan Creapl. Berkeley, 1927.
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, Palouts hew California, Berkeley, 1926,
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Cur, Harry, Los Angeles, City of Dreams. New York, 1935.
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Chapman, Charles E., - A History of California, New York, 1926.
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Cleland, Robert Glass, The Histo of California, The American
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Dana, Richard Henry, -__I_ Two Years Before the Mast. New York,
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Dorland, C, P,, nThe Los Angeles River--Its History and Owner-
ship." The Mstorical Society of Southern California,
Annual Publicat_ions, 1893,
Engelhardt, ZepQyrin, San Fernando Reg, the Mission of the
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Valley. Chicago, m.
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San Gabriel hlission and the BegLwLngs of Los Angeles,
SZ Eijr-gr--
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, *How the Area of Lo8 Angeles City was Enlarged,"
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"The Passing of the Old Pueblo," The Historical Society
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Los Angeles, 19=,
Hittell, Theodore H., _A Hlstor~ of Califormia, San Francisco,
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Ingersoll, Luther A., Ustory of Santa
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I
Keefer, Rank M., The IIistoq of San Fernando Valleg.
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~ayne, Joseph San Francisco:
he California
&lackey, hlargaret Gilbert, Los Angeles, Proper and Improper.
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Palou, Francisco, Relacion Historica de -- la Vida A ostolicas
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Robinson, W. W., Ranchos - Become Cities Pasadena, 1939.
he Five Friendlg Valleys. Los Angeles, 1923.
--
Van Aken, Lillian A*, "History of Exposition Park," Htstorlcal
Society of Southern California, Annual Publicatlona,
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Warner, J. J. , J. P. Widney and Ben jamin Hayes, An Histomcal
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, Statutes, -- 18504853. San Francisco, 1853.
, Statutes, - 1854. San Francisco, 1854.
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Calllornla, Supreme Court, California Reports, LlIf-CLVI.
San Francisco, 1906.
Los Angeles City Council, William M. Caswell, Cormpiled Ordi-
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-- --
Wholland, William, "A Brief Historical Sketch of the Growth
of the Los Angeles City Water Depa~tment,~ Bulletin of
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Department - of Public Service, Los Angeles,
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- --
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Butterfield, Roger, "Los Angeles is the Damndest Place,"
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-
Long Beach Press, 1909,
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Goudey, Re F., 'The Role of Water Supply in the wansion OF
the City of Los Angeles Through Annexation," Research
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11. UTERIALS FROM CITY AND COUNTY ARCHIVES
Los Angeles, City, Board of Public Service Commissioners,
Minute Book.
-
, Records,
Los Angeles, City, Bureau of Water and Power, Records.
Los Angeles, City, Clerk, Citx Property Records, Vol, I, 11.
, Council Records.
, Pdiscellaneous - File,
, Election Returns, Vole I-V,
Los Angeles, City, Wineer, "Annexation Map,'
Los Angeles, County, Board of %pervisors, Minute dook, Vol, 37,
-
Los Angeles, County, Recorder, Miscellaneous Records, Vol, 11.
, Patents, Vole 11, 111.
Johnson, Clyde, Busineas Manager 61 the Office of the
Lo8 Angeles City Attorney,
Lea~ned, WillaFB I?. , Chaplain, United States Amy.
Hoore, H, L., Deputy County Recorder.
Atorris, A. M., Deputy City Clerk,

2,904.596
AREA IN SQUARE MILES 1,540.8

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Interest in the city limits of Los Angeles is widespread. This interest has led travelers and soldiers in a jocular mood to plant signs reading "Los Angeles City Limits" in far-off places such as Tokyo, Berlin, and the Arctic wastes. Even a war plane was named "Los Angeles City Limits." Noticing such references over a period of many years, the writer was led to investigate the process and progress of the enlargement of the area of Los Angeles and the reasons for this growth.

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University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

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Asset Metadata

Creator Utter, James W., Jr. (author)

Core Title The territorial expansion of Los Angeles

School Department of History

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program History

Publication Date 02/01/1946

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag land annexations,land consolidations,land subdivisions,Los Angeles Harbor,Los Angeles Metropolitan Area,OAI-PMH Harvest,San Fernando Valley,shoestring strip,Water supply

Place Name California (states), Los Angeles (city or populated place), Los Angeles (counties), USA (countries)

Format iv, 155 leaves : maps ; 29[?] cm. (aacr2), masters theses (aat)

Language English

Contributor Digitized by the University of Southern California (provenance)

Advisor Coy, Owen C. (committee chair), Garver, Frank H. (committee member), Malcolm, Roy (committee member)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m6

Unique identifier UC154839

Identifier etd-Utter-194602 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-19995 (legacy record id),usctheses-m6 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-Utter-194602.pdf

Dmrecord 19995

Document Type Thesis

Format iv, 155 leaves : maps ; 29[?] cm. (aacr2),masters theses (aat)

Rights Utter, James W., Jr.

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions (213) 743-1672; https://www.usc.edu/isd/libraries/locations/grand/

Repository Name Libraries, University of Southern California

Repository Location Grand Avenue Library, 3434 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90007

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu